Aboul-Gheit detailed the significant risks posed by undermining UNRWA's mission in the Palestinian territories in two separate letters sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, according to an Arab League statement on Thursday.

The move came two weeks after the Israeli Knesset approved a bill banning UNRWA from working in Israel, following years of harsh Israeli criticism for UNRWA that has increased since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.

“The new Knesset legislation threatens the humanitarian framework in Gaza, where residents are on the brink of famine,” Aboul-Gheit added in his letters, noting that the league has long regarded UNRWA as a stabilizing force within Palestine and across the entire region.

Additionally, Aboul-Gheit asserted that dismantling UNRWA would represent a grievous setback for those committed to peace in the Middle East.

He also slammed the recent law as a flagrant violation of Israel’s obligations as a UN member state, setting a dangerous precedent on the international stage, the statement noted.

Aboul-Gheit warned that the Israeli right-wing scheme aims to neutralize the Palestinian refugees issue, stressing that preserving UNRWA is a moral and strategic imperative.

UNRWA, which operates in several countries, was established in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees who were displaced during the Nakba following Israel’s establishment in 1948.

Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza, more than 243 of the UN agency’s staff have been killed, with two-thirds of its facilities being damaged or destroyed. 

Earlier in October, Israel announced plans to confiscate the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood to build illegal settlements on its site, according to media reports.

The Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit, held in Riyadh on Monday, condemned Israel’s ongoing genocidal crimes in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, voicing unwavering support for ceasefire mediation efforts.

Gaza catastrophe
 

The Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has severely restricted the entry of food, water, and medicine since October 2023, has left 2.3 million residents on the brink of starvation.

The situation has worsened in northern Gaza, where a total blockade on aid since late September has exacerbated the crisis.

On Tuesday, international aid organizations criticized Israel for failing to meet US demands to allow greater humanitarian aid access, noting that the conditions in Gaza are worse than at any point in the 13-month war.

While Israel reported an average of 57 trucks daily entering Gaza in October and 81 entering daily in early November, the UN put the number much lower at 37 trucks per day since October.

International aid organizations estimated that at least 350 aid trucks are needed daily to meet the minimum survival needs of 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza.