These remarks came during the extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the delegate level on Thursday, which focused on the Arab response to Israel's decision to eliminate UNRWA activities from the occupied Palestinian territories.

Al-Jobury emphasized that the shameful laws adopted by the Knesset on Monday, which hinder the agency's work, are merely a continuation of this series of attacks.

Moreover, she stated that the UNRWA has paid “a heavy price” throughout the devastating war on Gaza while fulfilling its mandate from the UN General Assembly for over a year due to the deliberate disregard for the lives of its staff, its premises, and its humanitarian operations.

She also noted that two hundred and thirty-seven colleagues were killed and 200 of the agency buildings were destroyed or damaged in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

“Despite the great dangers, forced displacement, personal tragedies, and working under bombs, our staff continue to serve the Palestinian people with dedication and loyalty,” said Al-Jobury.

Al-Jobury explained that the agency has resisted and confronted all attempts to distort, target, and accuse it over the past years.

However, she noted that Israel is currently attempting to end the role of UNRWA.

The UN official stated that if Israeli laws are implemented, they will have dire operational and legal consequences, depriving the agency of the protection and essential means needed to perform its tasks within the occupied Palestinian territories while also putting the safety of its employees and facilities at serious risk.

Furthermore, Al-Jobury pointed out that these legislations deliver a devastating blow to services in the Gaza Strip, jeopardizing the distribution of food aid, shelter, healthcare services, and humanitarian efforts of the United Nations, which rely on the agency for support.

She also stressed that no alternative international or non-governmental organization can provide these semi-governmental services to such a large population.

Al-Jobury warned that a complete halt to humanitarian work in the absence of an alternative would lead to a catastrophe, especially as the suffering of more than two million Palestinians, who are already living in absolute dire conditions, continues to intensify.

“At stake is also the education of more than 650,000 Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank, which means an entire generation could be lost,” said the head of the UNRWA representative office in Cairo.

Additionally, Al-Jobury stated that with education, health, and social support services for more than 150,000 Palestinians in the West Bank disrupted, the agency’s emergency response following Israeli military operations will be severely affected, increasing instability and insecurity in the region.

Moreover, in light of the current situation in Lebanon, implementing these laws will collapse the agency’s operations, as Al-Jobury affirmed, putting thousands of people sheltering in its facilities at risk.

The disastrous political repercussions on the prospects for a future political solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be ignored, she said.

"These (Israeli) measures seek to end the Palestinian people’s aspirations for self-determination and close the door once and for all to the two-state solution, thus setting back sustainable efforts to achieve peace in the region. They are in flagrant violation of the rulings of the International Court of Justice and relevant UN resolutions," Al-Jobury reiterated.

She further stressed that if these measures aim to end the refugee issue and the right of return, this reflects a misunderstanding of the facts.

Palestinian rights
 

The UN official noted that General Assembly Resolution 194 recognized the rights of Palestinian refugees, including the right of return, before the establishment of UNRWA.

Al-Jobury added that, accordingly, their rights are independent and will persist, just as the refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank will continue to stand as witness to the suffering and rights of their people, irrespective of the existence of UNRWA.

Additionally, Al-Jobury said that when conflicts and unrest rage and expand in the region, ending UNRWA’s role will collapse one of the pillars of stability.

This vacuum will leave behind Palestinian children prey to hatred, extremism, and criminality. The need for the agency today is more significant than ever, she reaffirmed.

Arab support for UNRWA
 

The UN official commended the exceptional support provided by Arab countries to the agency over the past year but called on them to intensify this support.

“I do not mean only financial support, although it is important, as we still need $80 million to be able to continue our efforts until the end of the year,” Al-Jobury said.

“But I also mean strong and tangible political support to pressure against the implementation of Israeli laws and the dismantling of UNRWA, thus marginalizing the role of the UN as a whole and undermining the international multilateral system,” she added.

Al-Jobury stressed that UNRWA's future is a shared collective responsibility. It is crucial to preserve and protect its role now and in the future until its services are handed over to an agreed-upon Palestinian government.

"Finally, I call for an effective political track leading to a two-state solution, which will contribute to ending the suffering of Palestine refugees radically,” Al-Jobury concluded.