Jordan condemns Israeli Knesset’s move to undermine UNRWA

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned the Israeli Knesset's approval of draft laws restricting the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

The Foreign Ministry denounced the Israeli move to deny UNRWA staff the diplomatic privileges and immunities normally granted to UN agencies operating in these areas, including in East Jerusalem.

The statement criticized these measures as a blatant violation of international law and Israel's obligations as an occupying force.

Sufian Qudah, the ministry spokesperson, said that giving the green light for these laws is  part of an “ongoing, systematic campaign aimed at undermining UNRWA's mission and stripping it of its political significance.”

"These Israeli actions are illegal and null and void," he said, warning that Israel's repeated attempts to politically dismantle UNRWA and challenge its role in supporting Palestinian refugees' right of return and compensation under international law are doomed to fail.

Qudah urged the international community to act swiftly and decisively in response to Israel's actions and called for protective measures to protect the Palestinian people, UN agencies and relief organizations from further aggression.

He warned that continued Israeli efforts to block UNRWA's humanitarian services would have devastating consequences for Palestinians, especially as humanitarian conditions in Gaza deteriorate and tensions rise in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Qudah reaffirmed UNRWA's vital role and called on the international community to maintain their financial and political support for the agency.

He emphasized the importance of UNRWA's mandate, established by the United Nations, to ensure critical services to Palestine refugees in all five areas of operation.