Foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar issued a joint statement on Friday underscoring the indispensable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in safeguarding the rights and welfare of Palestinian refugees.
The ministers emphasized that UNRWA has, for decades, fulfilled a unique mandate entrusted to it by the international community, providing protection, education, healthcare, social services, and emergency assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees across its areas of operation.
The agency’s work is grounded in UN General Assembly Resolution 302 of 1949, which established its mission.
They noted that the General Assembly’s recent decision to renew UNRWA’s mandate for an additional three years reflects continued global confidence in the agency’s vital role and the importance of ensuring the continuity of its services.
The ministers also condemned the recent Israeli raid on UNRWA’s headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, describing the incident as a blatant violation of international law and the inviolability of UN premises.
They stressed that the act represents an unacceptable escalation and stands in contradiction to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 22 October 2025, which clearly states that Israel, as an occupying power, is obliged not only to refrain from obstructing UNRWA’s operations but to facilitate them.
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