Foreign ministry condemns Israeli Knesset’s passing of draft law to designate UNRWA as “terrorist organization”

RAMALLAH: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates slammed the passing of a draft bill designating UNRWA as a "terrorist organization" by the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) as a flagrant violation of the Palestinian refugees issue and their fundamental right to return, in accordance with UN resolutions. It also condemned this decision as a clear violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2730 adopted on May 4, 2024, which obliges states to respect and protect United Nations institutions and humanitarian workers, stressing that this resolution applies to UNRWA, its institutions and personnel. In a statement issued tonight, the Ministry reaffirmed continuing political, diplomatic and legal efforts to ensure the most effective implementation of the mandate of UNRWA, in accordance with the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions, including resolutions 194 (III), 302 (IV) and all others. It called for the intensification of international efforts aimed at preserving the mandate of UNRWA and ensuring i ts continuity until the rights of Palestine refugees are realized and a just solution is reached, in accordance with international law and UN resolutions, especially Resolution 194 and the right of refugees to return to their homes from which they were displaced. The Ministry referred to the International Court of Justice decision and its legal ruling, which affirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, which is part of UNRWA's areas of operations. UNRWA operates in five fields: Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank- including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. It called on the international community to join the Palestinian position rejecting the Knesset draft law, as an additional tool to entrench the occupation and persecution against the Palestinian people. The Ministry also called for boycotting and imposing sanctions on all those who voted in favor of this unjust draft law. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA