S/PV.9852 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Security Council’s provisional rules of procedure, the presidency of the Security Council invites the representatives of Cabo Verde, Egypt, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Senegal and Spain to participate in this meeting. I propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the United Nations to participate in this meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; and Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Lazzarini. Mr. Lazzarini: Nine days ago, the long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza began. We are heartened by the return of Israeli hostages and imprisoned Palestinians to their families. We are encouraged by marked improvements in the flow of humanitarian aid and in operating conditions. We hope that the ceasefire will hold and that the tremendous suffering in Gaza will subside. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the largest United Nations presence in Gaza, with 13,000 personnel and 300 premises. The Agency is critical for supporting a shattered population and the ceasefire. And yet, in two days, our operations in the occupied Palestinian territory will be crippled, as legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset takes effect. At stake is the fate of millions of Palestinians, the ceasefire and the prospects for a political solution that brings about lasting peace and security. In the wake of the ceasefire, we must contend with the devastation of the last 15 months and the enormity of the challenges ahead. A peer-reviewed study of death by traumatic injury in Gaza reveals that the mortality figure provided by the Ministry of Health is a minimum estimate — 46,000 deaths is likely an undercount by more than 40 per cent. The study also confirms that the majority of those killed are women, children and the elderly. Those who escaped death by bombardment, starvation and disease have emerged shell-shocked. Tens of thousands of people are now returning to the decimated north, to search for the living and to bury the dead. Across the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are turning to UNRWA, the Agency they have known all their lives, for support. Curtailing our operations now — outside a political process and when trust in the international community is so low — will undermine the ceasefire. It will sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition. The full implementation of the Knesset legislation will be disastrous. In Gaza, undermining UNRWA’s operations will compromise the international humanitarian response. It will degrade the capacity of the United Nations just when humanitarian assistance must be significantly scaled up. That will only worsen the already catastrophic living conditions of millions of Palestinians. In the occupied West Bank, where violence is surging, ending UNRWA’s operations will deprive Palestinian refugees of education and healthcare. The Palestinian Authority has made it clear that it does not have the financial resources or capacity to compensate for the loss of UNRWA’s services. In occupied East Jerusalem, the Government of Israel has ordered UNRWA to vacate its premises and cease operations by Thursday. That will affect approximately 70,000 patients and more than 1,000 students. The Deputy Mayor has called for a public celebration of UNRWA’s expulsion from East Jerusalem opposite the headquarters of our West Bank field office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. It is on that land that local authorities are planning to build illegal settlements. The relentless assault on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory. It is eroding their trust in the international community and jeopardizing the prospects for peace and security. The Knesset legislation defies the resolutions of the Council and the General Assembly. It flouts the rulings of the International Court of Justice. It disregards the fact that UNRWA is the mechanism established by the General Assembly to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees pending a political answer to the question of Palestine. Implementing the legislation makes a mockery of international law and imposes massive constraints on UNRWA’s operations. However, we are determined to stay and deliver until it is no longer possible to do so. That is not without risk for our Palestinian colleagues, who face an exceptionally hostile operating environment, fostered in part by a fierce disinformation campaign. The Government of Israel is investing significant resources in portraying the Agency as a terrorist organization and our staff as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. Billboards and advertisements accusing UNRWA of terrorism recently appeared in major cities around the world. They were paid for by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Google Ads campaigns redirect those seeking information about the Agency to websites replete with disinformation. The absurdity of anti-UNRWA propaganda does not diminish the threat that it poses to our staff, especially those in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza, where 273 of our colleagues have been killed. It sets a precedent for Governments to accuse a United Nations entity of terrorism to create a pretext to clamp down on human rights. It sets a precedent for criminalizing humanitarian assistance and protection. This year, propaganda efforts spearheaded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry received a boost of $150 million. A ceasefire in Gaza must be followed by a political transition that includes an orderly conclusion of UNRWA’s mandate and the handover of its public-like services to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions. That is the path now being pursued by the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, led by Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the League of Arab States. Only a political pathway of that nature can ensure the protection and welfare of Palestinian refugees and peace and security in the region and beyond. A clear choice lies before us. We can allow UNRWA to implode as a result of the Knesset legislation and the suspension of funding by key donors. The repercussions of that implosion will not be confined to national borders and will only further destabilize the region. Alternatively, we can allow the Agency to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process. UNRWA was always meant to be temporary. A fair and lasting political solution would allow the Agency to hand over its services and workforce to a Palestinian Administration. UNRWA has much to offer in support of a political solution. The Agency is the largest provider of primary healthcare in Gaza and the second largest in the West Bank. Our health services and expertise are integral to building a strong national health system. It also has a pivotal role to play in education. In Gaza today, 650,000 girls and boys are living in the rubble, learning nothing more than how to survive. They have already lost more than two years of learning. Absent a full- fledged State, only UNRWA has the capacity to bring those children back to learning. So great is the enthusiasm for resuming learning in Gaza that more than 260,000 children — half of them girls — enrolled in our online learning platform this month. If we fail to resume education in Gaza and preserve it in the occupied West Bank, we will sacrifice an entire generation of Palestinian children. The threat posed by political efforts to dismantle UNRWA is compounded by financial challenges, with key donors deciding to end or reduce their contributions to the Agency. I am appealing for an urgent increase in financial support to UNRWA, the speedy disbursement of allocated funds and a review of funding currently on hold. I also take this opportunity to underscore the Agency’s long- standing commitment to neutrality. A detailed presentation at UNRWA’s Advisory Commission meeting last November made clear that our high-level action plan to implement the recommendations of the Colonna report is on track. We will also continue to take all necessary steps to investigate credible allegations made against the Agency and its personnel. Implementing the Knesset legislation will heighten instability and deepen despair in the occupied Palestinian territory at a critical moment. I am seeking the Council’s decisive intervention in support of peace and stability in the occupied Palestinian territory and the broader region. First, I call on the Council to push back against the implementation of the Knesset legislation. UNRWA’s personnel and services are integral to the success of the ceasefire. Finally, the Council must ensure that a financial crisis does not abruptly end UNRWA’s life-saving work. The Agency cannot continue to operate in the face of extraordinary challenges without adequate resources. In conclusion, I would like to share with the Council a message received from a young person in Gaza last week. It is a stark reminder of the heavy responsibility that we bear. “I am writing to you from the rubble of a home that once was a place of warmth and life. Now my days are spent searching for the most basic necessities, like flour to feed my family. What truly breaks me is my helplessness in the face of children. Their innocent eyes seek safety I cannot provide and answers I do not have. Around us, the elderly sit in silence, their hearts weighed down by decades of loss and suffering. And here I am, dying 1,000 times every day as I think of all that I cannot do for them.” Unlike the author of this message, we are in a position to do something. It only requires the Council’s decisive action and leadership.

I thank Mr. Lazzarini for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Egeland. Mr. Egeland: I speak as a lifelong friend of Israel and the Palestinians and as one who has repeatedly called out the atrocities and war crimes committed by all sides, including on 7 October 2023 in and against Israel. And as Council members may know, I led the Norwegian facilitation of the Oslo Accords in 1993, and I have worked on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process ever since. I worked closely with Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat at the time. Let me first reiterate something that all European, American and local humanitarian organizations on the ground in Gaza have agreed on ever since some donor States started to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): UNRWA plays an indispensable humanitarian role in Gaza and the West Bank, and it cannot be replaced by any others among us, as the humanitarian organizations on the ground. We all rely on UNRWA’s logistical capacity; we operate in UNRWA schools; the people we support are attended to in UNRWA health clinics; and as Philippe Lazzarini just detailed, the organization has been — and still is — responsible for a massive relief operation in the hour of greatest need for the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. There are of course important recommendations in the Colonna report that the organization is — and must — be implementing. But again, the Council needs to know that we — and most importantly, the Palestinians — simply cannot do without UNRWA. Based on reports from my colleagues on the ground and my own two most recent visits in recent months, I will share with the Council some hard facts about our realities on the ground. First, the positive news: the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at long last, has allowed some hostages and a number of detainees to finally be reunited with their families, and it has introduced a welcome halt to the hostilities in Gaza. Starting yesterday, we have seen how tens of thousands of civilians can finally make their way back to their homes in Gaza’s north. But when I visited Gaza City in December, I was shocked by the destruction that those people will find in the north as they go home. It will be a race against the clock to give families the emergency shelter, water, sanitation and other basic relief, followed by the recovery and rehabilitation of Of the more than 46,000 people killed, with thousands still under the rubble, half are women and children — all are innocent. More than 1,000 health workers have been killed, alongside more than 350 aid workers; the vast majority were colleagues from UNRWA. And the Security Council must understand that 66 per cent of all structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations own Satellite Centre analysis of very high-resolution satellite imagery. Eighty per cent of commercial facilities are damaged or destroyed, as is 68 per cent of the road network, and that includes the damage or destruction of 87 per cent of the homes in Gaza since the Israeli assault began. When I last travelled to Gaza, in December, I drove for hours across the Strip, only to see destruction and devastation. I could not believe the Second World War- like, once-urban wastelands that Gaza City, Khan Younis and other cities had become. It is, to me, similar to the destruction of Syria’s besieged cities, like eastern Ghouta, Aleppo and Homs, during the war waged by the Al-Assad regime. There too, vast urban areas were destroyed by indiscriminate warfare as the people were besieged and starved. I was then the United Nations Special Adviser for Humanitarian Diplomacy in Syria, and at the time, I was glad to see the near-unanimous condemnation of the abuse of international humanitarian law. According to the Shelter Cluster for Gaza, which Norwegian Refugee Council leads, there are 1.34 million people in Gaza who are now in need emergency shelter support and basic household items. A United Nations damage assessment released this month showed that clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left in the aftermath of the bombardment could take 21 years and cost at least $1.2 billion. For two decades, children will have nowhere to play, owing to the rubble and debris and the countless unexploded bombs. The universally agreed principles in international law of proportionality, distinction and military necessity have been thoroughly violated. Against that backdrop, the humanitarian groups on the ground are desperately trying to scale up our assistance, after having been severely impeded throughout the conflict. My organization, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which is active in several sectors, including shelter, water and sanitation, education and legal aid, managed finally to have 18 trucks of humanitarian cargo enter Gaza last week, after months of frustrated attempts. We are currently working to deliver an additional 4,500 pallets of essential supplies. But looting and attacks on aid convoys remain a major concern, particularly in high-risk zones, such as the stretch between the Kerem Shalom border crossing and the Shokat As-Sufi junction. On 22 January, another significant looting incident took place and disrupted aid efforts, when a criminal group hijacked seven aid trucks near Kerem Shalom, injuring one of the drivers during their abduction. The following day, clashes in the area forced the cancellation of a planned United Nations and non-governmental organization rotation out of Gaza. Later the same day, an NRC convoy delivering trucks to our warehouse was nearly looted just metres from our premises. Swift action by the police ensured the trucks were secured with minimal losses. Humanitarian organizations also continue to face a number of bureaucratic and administrative challenges, including the systematic denial of visas and of work permit renewals by Israel. On 12 September 2024, the Israeli National Security Council admitted to the Knesset that Israel was no longer issuing visas to employees of international humanitarian non-governmental organizations. That appears to be part of a broader effort to undermine humanitarian work in the occupied Palestinian territory and limit assistance to the Palestinian population. But as the occupying In the short term, to address the urgent humanitarian needs and ensure an effective response in Gaza, we need the following. First, we need full and unrestricted access and the ability to move people and supplies, including fuel, freely from north to south and vice versa. Secondly, we need security and protection for aid operations. Authorities must implement robust security arrangements to protect humanitarian aid operations from looting and violence. Humanitarian organizations must be allowed to collect aid from Gaza’s crossings using sealed and secured transport options, such as box trucks, as the open trucks we are forced to use are routinely looted. Measures must be taken to guarantee the safety of aid workers, with clear commitments from the parties to the ceasefire agreement to respect humanitarian operations and our personnel. Thirdly, we need strengthened coordination and oversight mechanisms. The United Nations must ensure more effective, action-oriented coordination mechanisms to streamline aid delivery and avoid the duplication of efforts. Increased international oversight is required to secure continued access to border crossings and to monitor compliance with international law. When one party, Israel, controls all aid to civilians on the other side, without international monitors, we again repeatedly risk politically motivated closures. All parties to the ceasefire must be held accountable for their commitments, with clear and transparent communication on the progress of humanitarian access and reconstruction efforts. Fourthly, we urgently need financial and operational support to scale up the humanitarian response. Immediate, flexible and sustained funding is critical to meet the immense humanitarian and recovery needs and to scale up our response in Gaza. Israeli authorities must enable the safe and predictable flow of cash into Gaza, so that humanitarian organizations can implement cash assistance programmes, pay staff salaries and procure essential goods and services. Only two Bank of Palestine branches are expected to reopen, still with no clear security framework for cash injection or circulation. While all of that is happening in Gaza, we are also alarmed by the surge in violence across the occupied West Bank. Israeli military operations and settler attacks have intensified, leading to widespread insecurity, displacement and severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinians. The Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, Iron Wall, launched on 21 January, has already had severe humanitarian consequences. And we are already witnessing patterns of the disproportionate use of force in the West Bank similar to what we saw in Gaza before the ceasefire. In conclusion, the current and much-needed ceasefire in Gaza is, of course, extremely fragile, much as it is welcome. As negotiators engage in discussions on the following phases of the agreement, the international community must continue to put pressure on both Israeli and Palestinian decision makers. We also need stronger, more united, coherent and more assertive pressure for peace, compromise and negotiated progress from the international and regional Powers. Given the fragile nature of the Gaza ceasefire and the potential for more violence in the West Bank, the Security Council, in accordance with its mandate, should put all of its energies into achieving a peaceful resolution of the question of Palestine in line with international law. The General Assembly has scheduled key international mechanisms to address those challenges, including a Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions in March 2025, and a High-Level International There cannot be sustainable peace without a long-lasting solution to the root causes of the conflict. And the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and the Israeli population all deserve a just and lasting peace.

I thank Mr. Egeland for his briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Algeria. I extend my deepest gratitude to Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Mr. Jan Egeland for their briefings that underscore, once again, how vital the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is, not only for the Palestinian people, but for the entire region. Through them, I also thank the entire humanitarian community, which continues to give so selflessly in support of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza. Those heroes risk their lives every day, and, tragically, Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for humanitarian workers. It is our duty, as the global community, to protect them and create an environment that allows them to continue their life-saving work in safety and security. For more than 75 years, UNRWA has been a lifeline for the Palestinian people. Whether the issue is birth, education, healthcare, food assistance or employment, UNRWA has been an integral part of their lives. For generations of Palestinians, UNRWA is not just an agency, it is life itself. That role was especially crucial during the 15 months of Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza. UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian response, and its role remains essential under the ceasefire as the efforts to address the urgent needs of the Palestinian people continue. For Palestinians, the humanitarian community and the international community, UNRWA is irreplaceable. UNRWA is indispensable. Without UNRWA, who would provide the 9,500 daily health consultations that the Agency currently offers? Who would provide 1 million people with the critical mental-health and psychological support that UNRWA offers? Who would provide food to the 388,000 families whose survival depends on UNRWA? Who would deliver the vital water, sanitation and hygiene services that UNRWA currently provides, accounting for approximately 44 per cent of those services? Who would ensure that 660,000 Palestinian children return to learning in UNRWA schools, which are their only opportunity for education? It is clear that halting UNRWA’s operations would be a death sentence for Palestinians, particularly the most vulnerable among them — the refugees. Attacks on UNRWA and disinformation campaigns against the Agency are not new. The Agency has been under destructive assault since its inception. Why? Because it symbolizes the Palestinian refugees and their right to return — a right that no one can seriously deny. Palestinian refugees, like all refugees around the world, possess that inalienable right. The question of UNRWA’s neutrality has been raised time and time again. However, as the Colonna report confirms, UNRWA “possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities.” Despite those irrefutable facts, UNRWA continues to face serious attacks and allegations. Algeria believes that any such allegations should be independently and thoroughly investigated. We must not let false claims undermine the crucial role that UNRWA plays in the lives of millions of Palestinians. The international law is clear. On the one hand, the Israeli occupying Power has the responsibility and the obligation to ensure the humane treatment of the Palestinian population and meet all their needs. On the other, it does not have sovereign rights over the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem — a principle upheld by article 47 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In addition, UNRWA, as The very existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland relies on the services provided by UNRWA. To halt its activities would serve the destructive plan aimed at erasing the presence of Palestinians between the river and the sea. Our responsibility is to support UNRWA and ensure that Palestinians are provided with the means to survive in their homeland, with dignity and hope for a better future. To that end, UNRWA’s mandate must continue until we see the establishment of a Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Secretary General Jan Egeland for their briefings. The United States is strongly committed to implementing the ceasefire agreement so that the hostages can return home and the people of Gaza can look towards a brighter future under new leadership. We must never forget the lives taken, as a result of the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October 2023 and the horrors endured by countless innocent people in the war that followed. Hamas can no longer be allowed to play spoiler on behalf of the Palestinians — not after it started this conflict through its horrific attack and its deplorable behaviour. We have seen Hamas cynically weaponize the suffering of Palestinians by using civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, to store caches of weapons, house fighters and coordinate attacks. We are concerned about reports that returned Israeli hostages were held by Hamas in United Nations facilities during their prolonged captivity in Gaza. It is vital for a full and independent investigation to assess those very serious allegations. Unfortunately, that follows a pattern of serious allegations on the misuse of United Nations facilities — particularly facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — by Hamas terrorists. Today’s briefing focuses on Israel’s laws, set to go into effect on 30 January, that may impact UNRWA activities and prohibit contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA. It is Israel’s sovereign decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem on 30 January. The United States supports the implementation of that decision. Exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they will force the entire humanitarian response to halt, as UNRWA has done, is irresponsible and dangerous. What is needed is a nuanced discussion about how we can ensure that there is no interruption in the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services. UNRWA has never been the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Many other agencies have experience and expertise to do this work and have done this work. UNRWA’s work has been tainted and its credibility questioned due to the staff’s terrorist ties to Hamas, exposed as a result of Hamas’ 7 October attack. Now is the time to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need throughout Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire deal the United States, Qatar and Egypt The region has suffered for too long from the nefarious influence of Iran and its terrorist proxies, who have exerted undue influence and destabilized the region for decades. As a result of the ceasefire, the countries of the Middle East have an historic opportunity to reshape their region in a way that affords its people a better path forward, one in which Israel is fully integrated with its neighbours under the banner of the Abraham Accords. The United States will do its part to help create that future.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this important briefing. I also express Guyana’s appreciation to Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, and to Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, for the valuable information and perspectives provided. Today we pay a tribute to all humanitarian workers in Gaza and, given the focus of today’s meeting, to Commissioner-General Lazzarini and the staff of UNRWA, in particular, for their unwavering commitment and service in the face of immense challenges. As I said a few weeks ago (see S/PV.9793), UNRWA is now at a critical crossroads, with extremely difficult prospects ahead of it, in the light of the entry into force of certain aspects of the legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset in October. The international community, including the General Assembly and Security Council, must do everything in its power to safeguard UNRWA’s role in the occupied Palestinian territory. Dismantling the Agency’s operations will have catastrophic consequences for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who depend on the Agency’s services. That is especially true at this time, when Palestinians are seeking to recover from 15 months of brutal war and hardship. On this latter note, Guyana notes the unfolding developments in the Gaza Strip following the activation of the ceasefire agreement on 19 January. We are pleased that the supply of humanitarian aid into Gaza has been ramped up with hundreds of trucks — including UNRWA’s — having entered since the start of the ceasefire. As a demonstration of its capacity to mobilize quickly and on a large scale, UNRWA brought in enough food to Gaza in four days to feed 1 million people. In fact, as Commissioner General Lazzarini noted, 60 per cent of all food that came into Gaza since the start of the ceasefire has come in through UNRWA. Guyana urges that the parties continue to uphold their obligation to ensure the rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need. Palestinians in Gaza must receive our full support in order to enable them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods, and all impediments to that end must be removed. As international attention is pivoted towards recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, it is critical to keep in view the broader question of justice for the Palestinians in the light of what they have experienced over the past seven decades, especially during the brutal war of the past 15 months. Record numbers have been killed and injured, and over 90 per cent of all infrastructure, including homes and other critical infrastructure, have been damaged or destroyed, with piles of rubble as far as the eye can see. Yet yesterday alone we witnessed a throng of more than 200,000 Palestinians returning to their homes in North Gaza, and more will follow. Even amid the more than 50 million tons of rubble, it is this spring — this hope for a new day in an independent State of their own, with the drums of war silenced — that lies in the heart of every Palestinian and fuels their unparalleled resilience. Guyana therefore urges respect for the right of Palestinians to their territory, in line with the pre-1967 borders, and calls on the international community to protect that right and reject any suggestions of involuntary resettlement. An effectively functioning UNRWA is also part of a just response to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. We are all aware of the massive efforts that would be required for relief, reconstruction and recovery in Gaza. UNRWA is the only agency that has the capacity and experience to facilitate the delivery of services to Gazans, both in the near and long term, at the required scale. Guyana therefore calls on the Government of Israel to refrain from taking any action with respect to UNRWA that would further jeopardize the situation of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. We also call on Israel to uphold its international legal obligations to that end, including those related to the privileges and immunities of United Nations agencies. While Palestinians are attempting to begin the recovery process in Gaza, the developments in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are alarming. Guyana condemns in the strongest terms the increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, which is leading to a deterioration of humanitarian and security conditions there. We urge all parties, including the Israeli security forces, to cease all violations of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank. We also urge Israel to refrain from all actions that could potentially undermine the ceasefire in Gaza and lead to renewed conflagrations in the region. In the context of the evolving situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Guyana highlights the following points. First, all efforts should be focused on ensuring that the ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold, including after its first phase. We urge the parties to continue to negotiate in good faith, prioritizing the well-being of civilians and the achievement of a permanent ceasefire. Secondly, all attempts to unilaterally dismantle UNRWA must cease. As has been said before, it is the General Assembly that created UNRWA’s mandate. It is therefore only the General Assembly that can alter or terminate that mandate. Israel is obligated to cooperate with the United Nations to ensure that the needs of Palestinian refugees are met as long as that question remains unresolved. Thirdly, the cycle of uncertainty, flux and violence to which Palestinians have been subject can only be brought to an end with the implementation of the two-State solution. Guyana urges Council members, in particular those with influence, to exert every effort to move the needle on the implementation of the two-State solution. We cannot stick to the old ways of doing things if we are getting no results. The people of Palestine deserve much more. Guyana urges all Council members to work together to ensure that the upcoming June conference yields concrete results for the Palestinian people. Allow me to conclude by reiterating Guyana’s full commitment to contributing to a better and peaceful future for Palestinians. We acknowledge UNRWA’s critical role in that endeavour and express our full support for the Agency and for doing everything possible to ensure that it can continue to fulfil its mandate in the occupied Palestinian territory. The greatness of humankind is not in being human, but in being humane. UNRWA, a United Nations Agency with more than 75 years of first-hand experience of supporting the Palestinians in the Near East, has shown its compassion and discharged its duties in more than one way. It has provided vital humanitarian support to millions and delivered primary health services, education and shelter. Greece is gravely concerned that pain and suffering in Gaza are still present after 15 months of destruction. That is a deeply alarming fact, especially if we take into account the loyalty, devotion and commitment of UNRWA to alleviating the suffering of the population. At this critical moment, UNRWA’s role is pivotal and irreplaceable. Its valuable work should not be undermined. Greece proudly continues to support UNRWA, especially at its darkest hour. We have recently renewed our voluntary contribution and voted in favour of the relevant General Assembly resolution in December 2024 (General Assembly resolution ES-10/25). At the same time, we are deeply concerned about the attacks on UNRWA’s personnel. Humanitarian workers must be protected at all times, in line with international humanitarian law. Just a few days ago, we all welcomed, with relief, the ceasefire agreement — a deal that offers a unique opportunity to replace despair with hope. For that to happen however, UNRWA must be allowed to play its part in the unimpeded distribution of humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Any “day after” scenario in the Gaza Strip should be written with its substantial support and expertise. And while there is hope for the future, there is literally power in the present. UNRWA has the power to deliver in the present — the power to protect the basic rights of thousands of people in Gaza, including children. That power lies within UNRWA, as the cornerstone of all humanitarian assistance in the Strip. In that regard, the international community should remain committed to the continued support of the Agency. In that context, we call on Israel to reconsider the implementation of the legislation, as it will obstruct UNRWA’s capacity to operate within its mandate throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. We fully understand Israel’s concerns, and in that respect, we believe that the full implementation of the recommendations of the Colonna report, in combination with the principle of neutrality, remains crucial. At the same time, the ceasefire agreement offers an opportunity for UNRWA and Israel to work together so that the Agency can continue to provide its essential services. In conclusion, allow me to stress that the only long-term solution for the region is to revitalize the political process to pave the way for a political horizon for a two-State solution, according to the relevant Security Council resolutions, while recognizing the right of Israel to exist in peace and security. As a founding member of the United Nations, Greece strongly believes that United Nations agencies embody our collective hope for a peaceful, secure and prosperous world. They provide lifeline support in regions where thousands of lives are put at risk. Their service to humankind is therefore invaluable. After all, it should be remembered that there is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed. UNRWA can work for the common good in Gaza and deliver that service.

We would like to thank the Algerian delegation for convening today’s briefing on the issue of the fate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the context of the ban on its activities in the occupied Palestinian territory following the Knesset laws, which are supposed to enter formally into force Recently, the Security Council has discussed the situation surrounding the steps taken by Israel to ban UNRWA on numerous occasions. Council members have consistently and unequivocally condemned West Jerusalem’s efforts to wreck the Agency, which, as we all understand, is absolutely indispensable for Gazans and the West Bank. That has also been confirmed by the most recent United Nations reports, which indicate that it is precisely UNRWA that provides a significant share of the aid distributed to the population there, including the large quantities of aid that began to flow into the enclave following the deal reached between Israel and Hamas. What is of great help here is the Agency’s experience, its far-reaching system for providing humanitarian assistance and its infrastructure, which has been established over decades. And yet today virtually all residents of the Gaza Strip can be characterized as falling into the most vulnerable category of the population, and UNRWA, as its own workers admit, is practically the only source of support they have left. Despite all that, however, it is clear that Israel is dead set on stripping UNRWA of the ability to carry out its core function, which will deprive the Gazans of the only lifeline they have. That is despite the fact that we never saw any substantiated evidence to prove Israeli’s allegations regarding the Agency’s non-compliance with the principle of neutrality and the involvement of 19 UNRWA staff in the ruthless attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Moreover, no accusations could serve as grounds for banning UNRWA’s work, as the Agency was established not by Israel but by a decision taken by the entire international community back in 1949 (General Assembly resolution 302 (IV)). We have repeatedly emphasized that the Israeli laws not only violate the norms of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the fourth Geneva Convention and the relevant General Assembly decisions, but also contradict the conditions for Israel joining the United Nations back in 1949, which include the compliance with and implementation of two flagship General Assembly resolutions — resolution 181 (II) on the Palestine Plan of Partition and resolution 194 (III) on Palestinian refugees. Moreover, Israel’s ban on the Agency’s activities and its revocation of UNRWA’s privileges and immunities are at odds with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. They constitute a flagrant violation by West Jerusalem of its international legal obligations, including those stemming from the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. No State has the right to unilaterally deprive United Nations entities and personnel of their privileges and immunities. Such an approach renders meaningless the very notion of privileges and immunities, a notion that is supposed to ensure that international civil servants are able to discharge their duties unhindered. In view of that, the Secretary-General should take a more decisive stance, given that a flagrant violation of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations is clear in that instance. A delay in the launch of a dispute settlement procedure only encourages further violations by Israel, which is getting confirmation of its total impunity. We deem it necessary for the International Court of Justice to consider the UNRWA file as part of the request for a third advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations in relation to the diplomatic and United Nations presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. In addition, the second advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, dated 19 July 2024, on the Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem (see A/78/968), ruled that “Israel is not entitled to sovereignty over or to exercise sovereign powers in any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. The same applies to Israel’s ban on UNRWA activities. Israel would not dare to defy the international community and violate international law so brazenly were it not for the absolute and unconditional military and economic support of the United States. Throughout the 15 months of escalation of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, Washington has supplied Israel with weapons used to kill Palestinian civilians and prevented the adoption of any Security Council resolutions that would have disrupted Israel’s implementation of its plans in Gaza. The United States is also blocking any attempts to craft collective Security Council measures to defend UNRWA. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the blame for what is happening surrounding the Agency falls squarely on the shoulders of the United States as well. And that is precisely what we heard today from the United States representative — it was crystal clear. According to the United States, Israel apparently has the right to shut down the UNRWA office in Jerusalem. How does that square with international law? The answer is that it does not. That is a clear example of the so-called “rules-based international order”, which, for the United States, is a replacement for international law. We call on our colleagues in Washington to come to their senses and exert the necessary pressure on West Jerusalem to avoid further suffering on the part of Palestinian civilians. For our part, we reaffirm our readiness to participate in developing any United Nations initiatives, including within the Security Council, aimed at maintaining UNRWA’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and at ensuring the safety of its personnel. We support the calls made on Israel by the Secretary-General and the UNRWA Commissioner-General, and we demand that Israel uphold its international legal obligations and repeal the legislation mentioned. It is important to bear in mind that the implementation of the laws banning UNRWA activities will deal a serious blow to the prospects of a ceasefire, one that we all have a stake in and that is already fragile. In conclusion, we would like to express the unwavering support of Russia and Russian civil society for UNRWA. Not long ago, an international public fund — the Russian Peace Foundation — nominated UNRWA for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. We believe that that is a timely step that deserves broad international support, given UNRWA’s irreplaceable role in Gaza and its principled position, for which 273 UNRWA personnel paid with their lives while discharging their duties.

I thank the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council for their briefings. I would like to reaffirm France’s full support for UNRWA and its Commissioner- General. Since October 2023 and the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, UNRWA has been on the front lines in bringing relief to the civilian population of the enclave, and 272 UNRWA staff have died in the line of duty during that period. Since 29 October 2024, France has deplored the adoption by the Israeli Parliament of two laws targeting UNRWA (see S/PV.9763). Their implementation would deprive hundreds of thousands of civilians of essential shelter, healthcare, education and food aid in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. We call on the Israeli There is no credible alternative to UNRWA. The Agency plays an essential humanitarian role, but it also provides public services, and it does so at one third of the cost of other United Nations agencies. UNRWA is therefore part of the solution in Gaza and the rest of the occupied territories. The ceasefire agreement continues to be implemented. Aid must therefore be delivered on a massive scale, reconstruction work must begin without delay and Gaza’s children must be allowed to return to their schools, which are run by UNRWA. All Palestinians must also have access to the health infrastructure operated by the Agency. UNRWA therefore plays an essential stabilizing role not only in the Gaza Strip, but also in Jerusalem and the West Bank and in the host countries. It is therefore in Israel’s interest, not least in that of its own security, that UNRWA should be able to operate without hindrance. France will continue to be a partner of UNRWA in 2025, as it has been since its establishment by a sovereign decision of the General Assembly in 1949. At the humanitarian conference on 2 December 2024, France announced a new contribution of €50 million for the population of Gaza in 2025, including €20 million for UNRWA. France will also continue to ensure that the reforms needed to ensure the neutrality of the Agency’s actions are implemented, particularly the recommendations of the Colonna report. If UNRWA still exists 75 years after its establishment, that is because the international community has not yet been able to resolve the Palestinian question. It is essential to set in motion an irreversible process for the effective implementation of the two-State solution. The Gaza Strip must be part of a future Palestinian State. Hamas must be prevented from regaining a foothold in the enclave, and we must therefore prepare for the return of the Palestinian Authority, which is responsible for administering the territory. In order to make progress towards a two-State solution, France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair an international conference in New York in June. We call on the Israelis and Palestinians to take the only path that will guarantee them a future of peace and security.

I thank Algeria for requesting this meeting, supported by Somalia, with a focus on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). I also thank Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the Agency, and Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, for their comprehensive and sobering briefings. Sierra Leone notes the extraordinary commitment demonstrated by UNRWA in providing life-saving and critical support to the Palestinian people, particularly in the past 15 months, and we pay tribute to the 269 personnel who have lost their lives since the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. We express our deepest condolences to the families and stand in solidarity with those adversely affected. Since it was established by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 1949, UNRWA has been a beacon of hope for Palestinian refugees, who continue to endure untold suffering in the occupied territory and even abroad. The Agency’s direct relief and works programme — the provision of education, primary healthcare and social services to millions of Palestinians across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem — is a testament to its long- standing commitment to the welfare and human development of Palestine refugees. Notwithstanding the challenges that UNRWA has faced in the past 15 months, owing to the prolonged hostilities, direct strikes on its installations, shelters and facilities, and the insecurity of its workers, its resilience in continuing to deliver at scale and It is therefore concerning to note that recent developments pertaining to the discrediting of UNRWA, and the two laws enacted by the Israeli Knesset with regard to UNRWA’s operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, will only worsen the already catastrophic living conditions of millions of Palestinians and undermine international humanitarian efforts. While we welcome the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and are keenly monitoring its implementation, we remain disturbed by the increased suffering of the Palestinian people and the disruptions in United Nations humanitarian operations that are likely to occur if UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, is restricted or forced to cease its operations in the occupied Palestinian territory as a result of those laws. In that regard, Sierra Leone would like to make the following observations. First, we acknowledge UNRWA’s vital role as the mainstay of humanitarian response services to Palestine refugees. We emphasize that it cannot be replaced by any other agency or entity, as the work that it does for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and across the wider region is life-saving and immeasurable. As the Secretary- General stated in his response to the General Assembly on the implementation of Assembly resolution ES-10/26, UNRWA provides irreplaceable services — from protection and education to healthcare — to millions of Palestinians, and essential logistical and infrastructural support to the entire humanitarian system. Without UNRWA, the humanitarian response would risk collapse, further compounding the already catastrophic situation experienced by civilians in Gaza. Over the years, the Agency has developed dynamic structures and systems that support the unique needs of the large and widespread vulnerable population that it serves in the occupied Palestinian territories and across several other countries. As tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians return home to northern Gaza to rebuild and restart their lives, we remain mindful of UNRWA’s role in Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery plan, including the provision of education to 650,000 children and the 17,000 medical consultations administered daily through its primary healthcare services. Secondly, we note with serious concern the communication from the Secretary- General in identical letters addressed to the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council (S/2025/18), bringing to their attention the two laws of the Knesset of Israel enacted on 28 October 2024 and further outlining UNRWA’s role in the occupied Palestinian territory, as established in Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 1949. The Secretary-General’s letters and the various briefings on the subject have established that the implementation of those laws would run contrary to Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and rulings of the International Court of Justice, with serious humanitarian consequences for Palestinian civilians. We therefore call on Israel to reconsider its decision to implement those laws. Thirdly, we welcome General Assembly resolution 79/232 of 19 December 2024, seeking legal clarity from the International Court of Justice through an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States in, and in relation to, the occupied Palestinian territory. While we await the determination of the Court, we are also of the view that the full implementation of those laws could have implications for Israel under international law and international humanitarian law, including the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In addition, we note UNRWA’s efforts to implement through its high-level action plan the 50 specific, time-bound and sequenced recommendations contained in the Colonna report on the independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure the Agency’s adherence to the humanitarian principles of neutrality. We also invite the Agency to continue such actions in line with the principles of international law. Sierra Leone appeals for adequate, predictable and sustained support for UNRWA’s operational and financial capacity and its services until a just and lasting political solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees is found. We note with concern media reports of a communication from Israel informing the Secretary-General that UNRWA is required to cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate all the premises on which it operates in the city no later than 30 January. As the Council supports the efforts to ensure that the ongoing cessation of hostilities will peacefully transition into a permanent ceasefire that will enable a resumption of political dialogue, it is incumbent on us to seek an urgent solution to this unfortunate impasse so that Israel reconsiders its implementation of the two laws and UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters will not be taken over but will be retained as an integral central coordination point for humanitarian support and reconstruction efforts for the Palestinian people. We must work swiftly for a solution that provides demonstrable assurances that UNRWA has in place effective neutrality mechanisms and procedures that enable it to provide its essential services to millions of Palestinians, in strict compliance with the robust UNRWA neutrality framework that was developed in 2017 and has since been updated as a result of the Colonna report. Sierra Leone remains committed to all efforts towards a lasting peace, guided by the principles of the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, security, stability and dignity.

I thank Commissioner-General Lazzarini and Secretary General Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council for briefing us today. I also offer our condolences, again, for all United Nations and humanitarian staff who have been killed in this conflict, including 273 members of Philippe’s team. After 15 months of conflict, we now stand at a rare moment of hope for Palestinians and Israelis. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt, we have a ceasefire deal that has seen seven hostages reunited with their families and an end to the violence in Gaza, which has claimed so many Palestinian lives. We cannot and must not forget the suffering that has brought us to this moment: lives brutally cut short by Hamas; and men, women and children abducted from their families — many of whom are still being held while their loved ones suffer in anguish. The conflict has also seen more than 47,000 Palestinians killed. At least 35,000 children are thought to have lost one or both parents, and an estimated 20 per cent of the population has been left with lifelong disabilities. The levels of destruction in Gaza are beyond belief. We must turn the page on the cycle of violence. I want to highlight key actions to support that. It is vital that we now see the release of all remaining hostages and a sustained ceasefire to allow us to move from phase one of the agreement through to further phases. Only then can we achieve a lasting peace. We welcome reports that there has been an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. That needs to be sustained and complemented by much-needed supplies of commercial goods. To support that effort, my Minister for Development has today announced a further $21 million in funding to ensure that healthcare, food and shelter reach tens of thousands of civilians and to support vital infrastructure across the occupied Palestinian territories. For that reason, the United Kingdom once again urges Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its life-saving operations and provision of essential services across the occupied Palestinian territories. We call on Israel to work urgently with international partners, including the United Nations, so that there is no disruption to that vital work. Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate humanitarian assistance by all means at its disposal. We stand ready to work alongside Israel, the United Nations and our partners to assist. We also call on UNRWA to continue to deliver on its commitment to neutrality. Implementation of reforms to strengthen its neutrality remain critical. We welcome UNRWA’s commitment to fully investigating any allegations against their employees and to continuing to implement the Colonna report’s recommendations. We have earmarked more than $1.2 million of our funding to UNRWA to support their implementation. The United Kingdom will play its full part in the coming days and weeks to seize the opportunity of the ceasefire for a better future and to ensure that it leads to a credible pathway towards a two-State solution, whereby Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

Let me also thank Commissioner-General Lazzarini and Secretary General Egeland for their important and sobering briefings. Let me, through our briefers, extend our gratitude to the entire humanitarian community, who are working selflessly to alleviate the situation in Gaza, and express our condolences and regret for the many humanitarians and United Nations workers killed. We are just two days away from the Israeli legislation on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) coming into effect. As we have heard today, UNRWA’s role far exceeds the crucial humanitarian role it currently plays in Gaza. For the past 75 years, UNRWA has provided Palestinian refugees with essential government-like services, such as education and primary healthcare, which have aided generations of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the wider region. Since Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack against Israel and the conflict in Gaza that followed, UNRWA has been the lifeline for civilians in Gaza. Under extremely difficult circumstances, the Agency has kept Palestinians alive by delivering food to a population on the verge of famine, shelter to 400,000 persons who have been repeatedly displaced, primary healthcare to 1.6 million people and water to 600,000 people. UNRWA plays a critical role in the entire humanitarian aid operation in Gaza. Other humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies rely on it for infrastructure, staff, common services and last-mile support. Without UNRWA, civilians in Gaza risk losing a vital safety net, and Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risk losing their access to basic services — basic services that UNRWA has a unique mandate from the General Assembly to deliver to Palestinian refugees until a two-State solution is realized. We note that the Secretary- General, in his letter of 8 January, emphasized that “there is currently no realistic alternative to UNRWA that could adequately provide the services and assistance required by Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” (S/2025/18, p. 3). Regarding the allegations about the involvement of UNRWA staff in Hamas’ horrific attack on 7 October 2023, we welcome the prompt reply and prompt follow- up by the Secretary-General and Commissioner-General Lazzarini. We welcome the important steps taken by UNRWA to implement internal reforms to ensure neutrality and the recent update on the implementation of the Colonna recommendations in that regard. We continue to follow the implementation closely and urge UNRWA to exercise maximum care in its operations. In conclusion, following 15 months of devastating war, the recent ceasefire has finally offered hope — hope that hundreds of thousands of Gazan civilians could receive the help that they need. It is therefore distressing that at this critical moment, when the international community can massively scale up its support, the Knesset laws on UNRWA are kicking in. Now is the time to commit to a lasting peace and to a two-State solution in which Palestinians and Israelis alike can live in peaceful coexistence. Without UNRWA, millions of Palestinians risk losing access to basic services. Without UNRWA, the situation in the region may be further destabilized, jeopardizing all the prospects for a two-State solution.

Pakistan thanks Algeria for convening this timely meeting to address the difficult situation that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is facing. We also thank Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Secretary General Jan Egeland for their comprehensive and sobering briefings, which highlight the urgent need for international action to provide humanitarian assistance and safeguard UNRWA’s humanitarian mission in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly Gaza. We would like to thank all the humanitarian agencies that are working in Gaza to address the catastrophe that the Palestinian people are facing. In particular, UNRWA’s role is critical. After the 15 months of unimaginable death and destruction in Gaza perpetrated by Israel, the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel announced on 15 January offers a glimmer of hope. Pakistan welcomes the agreement and deeply appreciates the mediatory efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States. We hope that all stages of the ceasefire agreement will be fully implemented and that the ceasefire will become permanent, along with a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the provision of full, rapid and unhindered humanitarian assistance to the suffering and displaced population of Gaza. We have noted the threats that Israel has made about the possibility of resuming attacks. We are also concerned about the fact that the Security Council has taken no action so far to halt the violence of Israel and Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. As we seek to preserve peace in Gaza and the West Bank, we should help the Palestinians develop a comprehensive plan for the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance and the reconstruction of Gaza, as envisaged in resolution 2735 (2024), and mobilize adequate international resources for its implementation. UNRWA’s role remains critical to the implementation of the ceasefire, the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance and the reconstruction of Gaza. For more than seven decades, UNRWA has been a beacon of hope for millions of Palestinian refugees across the region. Allowing it to be dismantled would undermine the ceasefire UNRWA and its heroic personnel have continued to operate within the occupied Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, in the face of attacks targeting them in which 370 of their personnel have perished. The viability and survival of UNRWA is being threatened today by the implementation — I am told within the next 48 hours — of legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset on 28 October 2024. The legislation, which bans UNRWA’s activities, violates the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 of the International Court of Justice (see A/78/968). As the occupying Power, Israel has no right to close down any United Nations facility, in particular UNRWA’s office in East Jerusalem, or any other United Nations international facility established in the occupied Palestinian territory under a mandate of the United Nations. Israel’s continued actions defy the international community, as reaffirmed in General Assembly resolutions renewing UNRWA’s mandate. Israel’s allegations against UNRWA have not been substantiated. That should be clear. The Colonna report does not substantiate those allegations. However, whatever doubts there are should be disproved through a full United Nations investigation. By targeting UNRWA, Israel seeks not only to dismantle the structures that are critical to the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, but to erode the identity of the Palestinian people and the rights that they possess and to undermine their aspirations for justice and peace. As Commissioner-General Lazzarini rightly observed at our previous meeting, allowing a United Nations-mandated Agency to be obstructed by national legislation would make “a mockery of international law and our multilateral system”. In his letter dated 9 December 2024 (S/2024/892), the Secretary-General emphasized that as a Member State, Israel is obligated under Article 2, paragraph 5, of the Charter to assist UNRWA in its work. General Assembly resolution 79/232 of 19 December 2024 further underscores that obligation and condemns any Israeli measures that obstruct United Nations and UNRWA operations. Pakistan is deeply concerned about those actions and stands in resolute solidarity with the Palestinian people. We reaffirm our unwavering support to UNRWA’s mission, rooted in General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 1949, which mandates the Agency to carry out direct relief work for Palestinians pending a just solution to their plight, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 (III). Finally, we must advance an inclusive political process to achieve a two-State solution. That remains the most promising, equitable and feasible framework for durable peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim world. Pakistan will work to that end as a member of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. We must resist steps that are designed to extinguish the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and statehood. We should instead take steps to make a two-State solution inevitable, including through global recognition of the State of Palestine and its speedy admission as a full member of the United Nations. In that context, we welcome the decision outlined in General Assembly resolution 79/81 to convene a high-level international conference in June, to be hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, where we hope that we will agree on an irreversible path to achieving a two-State solution consistent with United Nations resolutions and international law. China reiterates its staunch support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its grave concern at the challenges that the Agency has been facing recently as a result of human-made circumstances. We call on Israel to stop restricting and crippling the Agency and not to go ahead with the implementation of the UNRWA-related legislation. We appeal to the international community to maintain its support for the implementation by the Agency of its mandate, for the United Nations and, in particular, for the urgent Security Council actions needed by the Agency. I wish to make the following points. First, support for UNRWA is vital to the sanctity of the international rule of law and the authority of the multilateral system. Mandated by a General Assembly resolution (General Assembly resolution 302 (IV)), UNRWA is vested with privileges and immunities and, as such, its dignity, safety, security and facilities should be safeguarded. The way that Israel has been holding the Agency back and holding it down is inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law and sets a harmful precedent with negative consequences that spread far and wide. Secondly, support for UNRWA is vital to the survival of millions of people in Gaza. The current ceasefire in Gaza provides an opportunity to ease the humanitarian plight there, and the agreement that came into effect on 19 January also includes a commitment to surge humanitarian assistance. More than half of such relief work falls on the shoulders of UNRWA, whose role is indispensable and irreplaceable. Giving UNRWA a hard time flies in the face of its commitment to scale up humanitarian deliveries. Moreover, UNRWA is the one and only education provider in Gaza, and its absence from Gaza’s post-conflict reconstruction formula is unthinkable. Thirdly, support for UNRWA is vital to social stability in the West Bank. UNRWA is an important public service provider in the West Bank and an integral part of its socioeconomic fabric. If UNRWA stopped functioning as it should, such public services as education and healthcare in the West Bank would come to a screeching halt, and many Palestinians would lose their livelihoods and income, dealing a heavy blow to social stability in the West Bank. Fourthly, support for UNRWA is vital to settling the Palestinian question politically. UNRWA was never meant to be a permanent entity, but before national self-determination is achieved for Palestine and before the two-State solution becomes a reality, UNRWA remains indispensable. Any effort to create conditions whereby UNRWA can conclude its mission must be preceded by discussion on how the international community is going to ramp up its effort to breathe new life into the two-State solution and, together, take a stand against any unilateral moves that undermine that solution, including dangerous attempts to change Gaza’s demographic composition and territory in Gaza and to annex the West Bank. We wish to underscore that the debate over the neutrality of UNRWA has long since concluded. We have the report of the independent review group appointed by the Secretary-General. That report states in no uncertain terms that UNRWA’s neutrality is ensured by a significant number of sound mechanisms and procedures. Any misconduct on the part of a small minority must not be construed as reflective of the behaviour of UNRWA as a whole, and neither should any action taken vis-à-vis those individuals be used to detract from the humanitarian nature of the entire Agency. We hope that the countries that point an accusing finger at UNRWA are able to come up with evidence and share that evidence with UNRWA.

We thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, and we welcome the participation of the delegations of Cabo Verde, Egypt, Spain, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Senegal and the Observer State of Palestine. We also extend our gratitude to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Mr. Lazzarini, and to Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, for their valuable reports on the situation of the Agency in the occupied Palestinian territories. Panama pays tribute to the staff of UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies who have lost their lives in the line of duty and to those who continue to risk their safety in order to help those in greatest need. Their sacrifice attests to the commitment to the fundamental principles of humanity and international humanitarian law, which makes their mandates in such challenging circumstances even more important. Between 7 October 2023 and 19 January 2025, in the 440 days that have passed, the civilian population has paid the highest price, with more than 46,000 dead, tens of thousands wounded and millions displaced. The humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remains critical, and access to aid continues to be a challenge in many areas. Despite efforts to maintain the truce, we note great concern that there are deviations from the ceasefire, including non-compliance by Hamas by not releasing hostages as agreed. That action has had a direct impact on access to humanitarian aid and on the return of displaced persons. Moreover, it erodes trust between the two parties, a trust that it is essential to maintain in order for the long-awaited ceasefire can be implemented. In that context, UNRWA has played a crucial role, providing assistance to more than 1.6 million people in need by providing, inter alia, food, medical care, psychosocial support and education. The protection of United Nations personnel and facilities must be guaranteed and ensured at all times. Similarly, we believe it necessary to bolster the continued and sustained financing so that life-saving assistance can continue to be brought to Palestinian refugees. Panama supports the mission of humanitarian agencies and international efforts to alleviate the crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories. We believe it essential to ensure that both humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations operate with assurances that neither they nor their workers will be exploited in the context of the conflict. For that reason, we appeal to the international community to bolster the safety of humanitarian workers in order to ensure that they are protected at all times and that humanitarian agencies can continue to comply with their mandate unhindered.

We thank Algeria for organizing this debate, and we thank Commissioner-General Lazzarini and Mr. Egeland for their contributions. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been at the centre of our discussions for many months now. With its unique mandate, UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestinian refugees, the social fabric of its areas of operation and the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. It has become a factor of regional stability and an expression of our joint commitment to finding a political solution to the conflict. It was established to protect and assist It is for those reasons that we continue calling for the Agency to be strengthened, including through the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Colonna report. It is also for those reasons that Slovenia has spoken against the legislation since it was in the preparatory phase. Slovenia condemned its adoption in October 2024. Its implementation would have catastrophic consequences. Why? First, that legislation undermines the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Gaza is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis marking our generation, and UNRWA helps people in Gaza to survive. As the backbone of the humanitarian response, UNRWA is essential to scaling up the delivery of humanitarian aid, including now, with the critical opportunity presented by the ceasefire. Secondly, the legislation undermines the recovery of Gaza and the quality of life in the occupied Palestinian territory. The people of Gaza have lost far too much. Once the humanitarian situation improves, the role of the Agency will remain essential to the continued provision of government-like services. UNRWA needs to continue helping to provide opportunities for Palestinians to build a better life. The ceasefire is a stepping stone to lasting peace, and UNRWA is crucial to supporting that peace in both the short and long term. UNRWA is indispensable on our path to a two-State solution. But I want to make it clear that as is stipulated in its mandate defined by the General Assembly, it cannot and should not be permanent. Once a political solution is achieved, its services will eventually have to be transferred to the Palestinian Government. Thirdly, the legislation offers no alternative. There is no alternative to the Agency either in spirit or practice. With regard to claims to the contrary, it is necessary to underline that Israel has not demonstrated that there could be an alternative and has shown clearly that it has no intention of doing so. We will continue to underline Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law. The Secretary-General’s letter of 9 December 2024 (S/2024/892) is clear. In the event that UNRWA is compelled to cease its activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, it would be left to Israel to ensure that the range of services and assistance that UNRWA has been supplying are provided. Regrettably, we have heard no such assurances from the Israeli Government. Fourthly, the legislation would undermine the United Nations and the support of Member States for Palestinian refugees. We underline our concern about any attempt to dismantle a United Nations agency and about the potential impact of such action on the work of the United Nations in the field as a whole. UNRWA is an agency that is mandated by a decision of the General Assembly, supported by more than 150 countries that want to help Palestinian refugees and do not want to attack any particular country. That desire on the part of the international community should not be undermined or disregarded by the occupying Power, and the legislation would inevitably shrink the operational space for humanitarian action. Fifthly, the legislation can affect regional stability. Throughout the decades of its work UNRWA has provided an unmatched scale of services, experience and access, enjoying the trust of the beneficiaries who receive its tailored assistance. That is true for Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and it is the case for the other three areas of its operation. After a spiral of violence and escalations, we need to do everything to stabilize this part of the world, not jeopardize it further. Further entrenching the suffering of the Palestinians will not bring us any closer to peace. Slovenia looks forward to the day when UNRWA’s services are no longer needed — a time when Palestinians live in their own State, and both Israelis and Palestinians can coexist peacefully and securely next to one another. However, until

Somalia would like to express its gratitude to the Algerian delegation for convening this vital meeting today. We also want to welcome Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Secretary General Jan Egeland and to thank them for illuminating the critical situation facing the Palestinian people. For more than seven decades the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been an indispensable lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees, providing essential services in education, healthcare and social support. Yet today its very existence is under direct threat from recent legislative measures passed by the Israeli Knesset, aimed at restricting UNRWA’s operations and undermining its ability to deliver vital services. That cannot be seen as anything other than a deliberate attempt to exacerbate the suffering of an already vulnerable population. Actions targeting UNRWA’s ability to function represent an assault on the basic rights of the millions of refugees who depend on those services for their survival. UNRWA currently supports more than 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across the region. Its education programme alone provides critical schooling for more than 540,000 children, fostering not only education but hope and stability in communities that have seen little of either. Its healthcare services, encompassing primary and emergency care, are vital to the health and welfare of millions of Palestinians. Any disruption to those services not only deepens human suffering, but it also systematically dismantles the infrastructure that enables those communities to survive. Such actions are not only morally indefensible but a blatant violation of international law. They directly contravene Israel’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as an occupying Power to ensure the welfare of the population under its control. No attempt to undermine UNRWA can negate those fundamental legal duties. Restricting the operations of UNRWA, an agency that has consistently operated with neutrality and transparency, undermines the global efforts to address the root causes of this decades-long crisis and to work towards peace and stability. Where despair grows, so too do the risks of further conflict. As we have seen in other regions of the world experiencing prolonged crises, failing to address basic human needs often leads to the perpetuation of violence and insecurity. We must recognize that the challenges facing Palestinian refugees are not isolated. They resonate across the world, where similar challenges of displacement, access to basic services and conflict-induced vulnerabilities are all too familiar. We must view the issue not only through a humanitarian lens but as a matter of global peace and security. The challenges faced by Palestinian refugees are interconnected with broader stability in the region, and failure to address those issues adequately risks further displacement. In today’s interconnected world, the deepening of humanitarian crises can no longer be viewed in isolation. Moreover, the international community has a moral responsibility to ensure that UNRWA’s vital work continues unhindered. We must collectively demand that Israel immediately cease its attempts to restrict the Agency’s work and comply fully with its obligations under international law, and we must reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that UNRWA has the resources and political support it needs to continue its essential mission. UNRWA’s mission must continue until we achieve a comprehensive political solution — an independent Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and with the implementation of refugees’ right of return under General Assembly resolution 194 (III). While we welcome the recent In conclusion, this is a moment that calls for solidarity and action. The Palestinian cause demands more than temporary solutions. It requires justice and a lasting solution, in particular an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territory and the full recognition of a free, sovereign and independent Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. Until we achieve that, UNRWA remains an essential lifeline that we must preserve and support.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this timely meeting. I would also like to thank Commissioner-General Lazzarini of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and Mr. Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council for their briefings. The current deal on the ceasefire and the release of hostages provides us with a crucial chance to ease the vast humanitarian suffering in Gaza. All possible means of scaling up vital assistance should be mobilized, and we commend the relentless efforts by various United Nations agencies to that end. In that regard, we welcome the recent announcement by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that large volumes of unhindered humanitarian aid have been entering Gaza since the ceasefire began and that law and order there have also significantly improved. We particularly recognize the vital role that UNRWA has been playing in the provision of life-saving assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, both during the hostilities and under the ceasefire. Given the urgency of greatly enhancing the volume of humanitarian commodities in Gaza and of transitioning to the daunting reconstruction process, UNRWA’s staff, almost all of whom are local Palestinians with expertise, and its logistically important facilities must be harnessed to maximum capacity. We recall that it is Israel’s obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure that civilians in Gaza have access to basic necessities. UNRWA, which has delivered 60 per cent of the food entering Gaza since the ceasefire commenced, has been consistent in its commitment to working tirelessly to distribute food and other aid throughout Gaza, despite the killing of 272 of its staff since 7 October 2023 — the heinous terrorist attack by Hamas. We recognize the crucial role of UNRWA in providing basic services, including healthcare and education, to generations of Palestinian refugees in need, not only in Gaza and the West Bank but also in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, until a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question is achieved. In that regard, we also note that the Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA in neighbouring countries outnumber those registered in Gaza and the West Bank. Any allegations concerning one region of operations should not impede UNRWA’s provision of vital services in other regions. We encourage UNRWA to fully implement measures to uphold the principle of neutrality, as reflected in its high-level action plan for the implementation of the Colonna report’s recommendations. We also note that the United Nations has expressed many times its willingness to continue investigating the serious allegations with regard to its personnel, should adequate information be shared regarding possible connections with Hamas. UNRWA now faces existential challenges in the occupied Palestinian territory, as the implementation of Israeli legislation is imminent and much uncertainty surrounds its exact modalities and impact. We believe that Israel will remain committed to The Republic of Korea has maintained its steadfast support for UNRWA and for all other humanitarian agencies of the United Nations. We will continue to provide both political and financial support to ensure that basic services and humanitarian assistance are provided by the United Nations to Palestinians in need.

I would like to remind everyone that this is an official meeting of the Security Council. I would like also to remind all participants and speakers in today’s discussion to engage in the meeting with the utmost respect and to observe appropriate standards of tone, wording and content in their remarks, which should be addressed to the presidency. I now give the floor to the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this important meeting, and I thank Algeria in that regard. Allow me also to thank Commissioner-General Lazzarini for his remarkable and continued service and, through him, to express our deep appreciation to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff, who have shown great dedication and courage in trying to preserve life in Gaza at the peril of their own. Allow me to furthermore thank Mr. Jan Egeland for his briefing and the Norwegian Refugee Council for its role and, through Mr. Egeland, to thank all the humanitarian organizations that have tried to help the Palestinian people in impossible conditions and at great risk. United Nations staff and humanitarians deserve to be better protected, and we have a duty to hold accountable those who have shown such disregard for the most fundamental rules of our international law-based order, leaving international humanitarian law in tatters and in immediate need of reinforcement. Israel has destroyed everything in Gaza — everything except the sacred bond between a people and their land. Their roots run too deep. Their history covers millenniums The wounds of their Nakba have yet to heal. By the hundreds of thousands, they are going back to the north, from which they were uprooted and expelled by the occupying Power. Yesterday, in two hours, 200,000 Palestinians marched, walking from the south to the north: old men and women, tired and holding canes; small children who had just recently learned to walk; families carrying whatever they could of what remains of who they are; men and women exhausted, bereaved, some injured, finding the energy to take one step after another to reverse this latest forcible displacement; survivors of a genocide fighting against ethnic cleansing. They know that they are returning to find ruins and that their homes have been destroyed, their neighbourhoods have been obliterated and their schools and hospitals have been bombed. They know that all the requirements of life have been deliberately targeted. And yet, still, they went back. That image tells the Council all that it needs to know about the Palestinian people — that is who we are. That image — an image that conveys their tragedy, their pain and agony, all that they have endured and the wish of Israel to humiliate them and to make them suffer, even as refugees returning to destroyed refugee camps, not to their villages and towns — also demonstrates their resilience, their steadfastness, Israel thought that, by destroying everything, Palestinians would have to leave. It has often made that miscalculation — and now they are trying again in the refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Tubas and East Jerusalem — that by making our people’s lives more miserable, more unbearable and more impossible, it will get rid of the Palestinians. And it is again that miscalculation that is behind Israel’s attacks against UNRWA. Israel has been attacking UNRWA long before 7 October 2023, and at that time it did not try to conceal its objectives. It wanted to end the refugee problem, to erase rights that cannot be erased and that are inalienable. The idea is simple: to get rid of the refugees, one has only to try and destroy the Agency serving them. If there is no education, no health and no assistance, they will surrender, they will leave and they will abandon the land and their dream of liberation and return. UNRWA makes the lives of our people better, but it is not the reason that they have a right of return; it is not what connects them to the land, and it is not their identity, or their refusal to relinquish that identity. Anyone who thinks that peace will be had by destroying, displacing and impoverishing communities is terribly mistaken. UNRWA was created to alleviate the damage that Israel and this prolonged conflict have done to the lives and rights of Palestine refugees — first, to offer emergency assistance and then to offer human development; to restore hope in places of despair; to help people to rebuild their lives; to rebuild communities; and to protect and support in times of crisis and upheaval until a just solution to their plight, as required by equity and justice, as enshrined in United Nations resolutions, including General Assembly resolution 194 (III). UNRWA’s mandate stems from a decision of the international community as a whole, taken more than seven decades ago and renewed with overwhelming support ever since. That mandate, repeatedly renewed by the General Assembly and overwhelmingly reaffirmed — as it was again on 11 December 2023 in General Assembly resolution ES-10/25 — ends once the question of Palestine is resolved in all its aspects, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. If anything, this latest human-made humanitarian catastrophe and unprecedented crisis demonstrate the urgency of implementing such a solution. We all refer to UNRWA as the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, forgetting that that was not the Agency’s core mandate, but rather its response to unforeseen, tragic events. United Nations staff and humanitarians paid a very high price for their attempts to help a people being deliberately targeted, starved and forcibly displaced. Yet UNRWA continues to possess the personnel capacity and infrastructure to carry out the monumental tasks imposed by the emergency situation on the ground. But UNRWA’s long-standing role remains to provide education, primary healthcare and human development opportunities to millions of Palestine refugees across the region — in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. That is UNRWA’s mandate on behalf of the international community. None other than the General Assembly can unilaterally alter that mandate, which is imperative for the well-being of millions and for regional stability. There are two organized forces that can respond to the prevailing disastrous conditions and restore life and hope to the Palestinian people, with the support of the international community: the Palestinian Government and UNRWA. And yet Israel is demanding that everyone forsake them and work around them, setting us all up for failure. The consequences and repercussions will be grave. There is no alternative to the Palestinian Government, and there is no alternative to UNRWA. Israel, which destroyed Gaza and openly aims to get rid of the Palestinian people, does not get to The problem is not the rules, but the breach thereof; it is not the courts trying to uphold them, but the perpetrators persisting in the commission of crimes; it is not the United Nations, but rather the refusal to do what is necessary to preserve and respect our international law-based order. International law must be upheld, and the advisory opinions and orders indicating provisional measures of the International Court of Justice must be respected. Continuing to allow Israel to act as a State above the law is a recipe for only more conflict and disaster. In that regard, we reiterate: Israel has absolutely no sovereignty rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Its presence in our territory is unlawful, and this illegal occupation in its entirety must come to an end. The only sovereign in that territory is the Palestinian people. International law is clear in that regard. The Charter is clear in that regard. The determinations of the International Court of Justice are clear in this regard. The Security Council has also been absolutely clear in that regard, most recently in resolution 2334 (2016). The Council must implement its resolutions without exception. Claims that Israel has sovereignty in occupied East Jerusalem and can act accordingly, including with regard to the status of the UNRWA compound — which is United Nations property, covered by the 1946 Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations — contradict those resolutions, which are binding upon all. A United Nations member attacking the Organization from within its halls and from within the Chamber, openly attempting to destroy a United Nations agency, killing, maiming and arresting United Nations staff and trying to take over and steal United Nations premises in occupied East Jerusalem after destroying numerous ones in Gaza is a very dangerous precedent. If we allow it to pass, then all agencies will be in danger, and the United Nations will be in danger. The entire international community has come to the defence of UNRWA, at both the General Assembly and the Security Council. The international community has affirmed its trust in how the United Nations responded to the allegations and has maintained that UNRWA was irreplaceable. For months and years now, Israel has tried to create a rift between the Agency and its supporters. We must stand united to defend the Agency, the people whom it serves and what it stands for. Its role is needed today more than ever. Those who are trying to destroy it need to be defeated in that regard. This is a race against time for life, human development, freedom and peace. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians headed north, walking north, refusing to wait a single minute, risking their lives yet again. They are the story. Hear it said loud and clear: they are the story. Their long walk to freedom has lasted far too long. How many more years does the Council want us to keep walking for freedom? We have been walking for 80 years. It is our right to have freedom. It is our right to have the implementation of our inalienable rights, including our right to self-determination and statehood and the right of the refugees to return. It is time for them to reach their destination. We will and should reach our destination and soon reach freedom, reach independence and live in dignity in our independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. The world owes us that. It is the Council’s obligation to deliver that to us. Since the Council got involved in our case from its inception, it is its duty to complete the exercise by fulfilling our rights — the rights of the Palestinian people. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in refugee camps in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, also continue to rely on UNRWA for their well-being and protection, which are under direct and escalating threats as Israeli occupying forces and settlers intensify their attacks, causing loss of life, destruction of property

The presidency of the Security Council gives the floor to the representative of Israel.

I hereby inform the United Nations and the Security Council that the legislation concerning the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel will officially come into force in 48 hours, on 30 January. In accordance with applicable Israeli law and following the determination on the provisional agreement, UNRWA must cease its operations and evacuate all the premises that it operates in Jerusalem, including the properties located in Maalot Dafna and Kafr Aqueb. The legislation forbids UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and forbids any contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA. Furthermore, UNRWA will be prohibited from maintaining any representative, office, service or activity within our territory. Israel will terminate all collaboration, communication and contact with UNRWA or anyone acting on its behalf. The decision reflects years of efforts to address the grave accusations raised against UNRWA. The decision also reflects the reality of the situation: that UNRWA has miserably failed in its mandate and failed the people who were supposed to benefit from its services. The decision was not made lightly, nor was it made quickly. It was not a political decision. It was simply a necessary one. It follows decades of betrayal by an agency that has placed political agendas, neglect and cover-ups above humanitarian principles. Put more precisely, the decision was driven by UNRWA’s constant refusal to address the widespread infiltration of its ranks by Hamas and other terrorist organizations. It is intolerable for any sovereign State to facilitate the operations of an agency that threatens its national security and blatantly violates its laws. Israel remains committed to its obligations under international law, and we affirm our readiness to cooperate with other United Nations agencies that are untainted by terror and are committed to neutrality and accountability. It is time for the Council to accept, as we have, that UNRWA has failed. It has failed in every aspect of its mandate and responsibilities, both morally and professionally. It is now undeniable that UNRWA has been irredeemably infiltrated by Hamas. Over the past several months, I have provided dozens of examples, some stretching back decades, of UNRWA’s complicity and its employees’ participation in terror. Allow me to remind the Council of just a few. UNRWA is supposed to play a critical role in the education of Palestinians. It has certainly played a role but only a toxic one. In both 2017 and 2021, Israel discovered Hamas terror tunnels running directly under two UNRWA schools in Gaza. As of 2023, when we entered Gaza, we found that those tunnels had remained operational, despite the letters sent and the request made years prior to that. The principals of those schools — Khaled Said Al-Masri and Mohammad Shuwaideh — were confirmed Hamas operatives. Again, that is far from an isolated example. Just last year Israel provided more than 100 names of UNRWA employees who are verified members of Hamas. Unfortunately, and predictably, the claims were dismissed without proper investigation. Perhaps most shockingly, on 7 October 2023 an UNRWA employee kidnapped Jonathan Samerano, an Israeli civilian. That terrorist returned home to a pay cheque signed by Mr. Lazzarini. Mr. Lazzarini signed his pay cheque. He got Let us speak about the results achieved. UNRWA has failed to deliver on its core mission. After more than 75 years and tens of billions of dollars, there is so little to show for its work. Where was the Palestinian education system before we entered Gaza? Where was the economic infrastructure to support self-reliance before we entered Gaza? Where are the initiatives for refugee resettlement? The answer is clear — they do not exist, because UNRWA has never worked for those goals. Instead, the Agency has focused on its own survival, keeping Palestinians as forever refugees to justify its existence. That focus has come at the expense of real progress. We have heard reports that UNRWA’s data is far from accurate, and I will share facts, as we have the numbers. In December 2024, of the 5,065 aid trucks that entered Gaza, UNRWA supplied just 33 — 0.6 per cent. For food aid, the numbers are similarly insignificant. Of the 3,894 food trucks that entered Gaza in that same month, UNRWA provided just 29. That is 1 per cent. Overall, UNRWA has provided just 10 per cent of the aid supplied over the course of the war. In critical sectors such as fuel and logistics, its role has been sidelined by the World Food Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services. The numbers expose the Agency’s irrelevance in addressing humanitarian needs. It is not a humanitarian lifeline. It is an administrative relic that has failed to adapt to the challenges that it is supposed to solve or deliver meaningful results on. We must acknowledge that UNRWA is a vehicle, not a destination. The members are not here to serve UNRWA or its employees. Yet the Council and the General Assembly have held countless meetings fixated on protecting this broken vehicle, losing sight of the real priority — the people it is meant to serve through services, education and health clinics. It is time to abandon the illusion that propping up a corrupt and compromised agency achieves anything meaningful. Funds and efforts must no longer sustain an organization plagued by dysfunction and infiltrated by terror. The focus must shift to supporting other organizations that are untainted, accountable and genuinely committed to productive development. Israel is more than ready and willing to work with agencies with proven track records of efficiency and accountability, agencies that have already begun to fill the void left by UNRWA’s failures and that with increased support can do even more. The international community must make those efforts a priority rather than turning a blind eye to corruption and collaboration with terrorism. The defenders of UNRWA often argue that its termination would create a humanitarian crisis. That is a falsehood. UNRWA’s contribution to aid can be easily replaced by capable organizations that are already operational in Gaza. Every dollar spent on UNRWA is one diverted from real solutions. It is time to invest in hope, not failure. Commissioner-General Lazzarini himself admitted less than a year ago that UNRWA’s activities could be taken on by other agencies. In other words, it is essentially replaceable. And not only is UNRWA replaceable, but the time to replace it is now. Let me conclude with this. In 48 hours’ time, as this legislation comes into effect, we will stand at a turning point. The closure of UNRWA’s operations in Israel marks the beginning of a new chapter — one focused on dignity, security and progress. It is a moment for moving beyond the failures of the past and forging a path towards a better future for all. The international community faces a choice — to continue funding an agency that sows hatred or to promote a system that nurtures coexistence; to enable terror or to stand with Israel in its pursuit of accountability

I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. We would also like to thank you, Mr. President, for holding this meeting to allow us to discuss ways of protecting UNRWA from the threats presented by the Knesset legislation and Israel’s measures aimed at compromising the Agency’s activities and lifting the immunities that its personnel and premises enjoy in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Arab States. First, the Group would like to reaffirm the irreplaceable and central role of UNRWA, which is to provide services to Palestinian refugees in all of its areas of operations, as per its mandate established by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV), in 1949, as well as other subsequent resolutions. UNRWA has vast experience, which it has accumulated over the years, and provides targeted assistance to Palestinian refugees. It also has exceptional access, something that has been reaffirmed frequently by the Secretary-General and in relevant United Nations resolutions. Second, we commend the historic role played by UNRWA, especially given the unjust aggression Israel is inflicting on the Gaza Strip. We applaud the sacrifices made by UNRWA personnel, including the lives of over 270 staff members. UNRWA is an essential lifeline and almost the only one that the Gaza Strip has. Without the UNRWA, the people of Gaza Strip would not have been saved. In this regard, we call for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in all of its phases, so as to guarantee the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and to protect all UNRWA personnel, as well as other humanitarian workers. Third, the Group of Arab States would like to condemn Israel’s attacks on UNRWA. The aim of those attacks is first, to undermine the cause of Palestinian refugees, their right to return and compensation as per General Assembly resolution 194 (III), and to weaken other pillars of the peace process. UNRWA defends the cause of the refugees. The second objective of the attacks is to halt UNRWA’s activities, specifically education, health and other relief services, with a view to exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people, impoverishing them and stripping them of their livelihoods, with a view to subsequently displacing them. Fourth, the Group of Arab States deems the Knesset legislation, as well as the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Israel calling for the closure of UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem, to be at odds with Israel’s commitments under the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolutions 181 (II) and 273 (III), related to the Palestine Plan of Partition and Israel’s accession to the United Nations, as well as subsequent General Assembly resolutions related to UNRWA and Palestine refugees, specifically General Assembly resolution 194 (III), in addition to the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 1946 and international humanitarian law in general. Furthermore, and sixth, the Group of Arab States believes that the allegations made by Israel regarding UNRWA’s lack of neutrality are unacceptable. Those allegations are neither logical nor lawful. Even before 7 October 2023, UNRWA has always provided unrestricted access to its employees, and the Agency has undertaken the necessary investigations into the unproven allegations. The Colonna report underscores that UNRWA applies a more developed approach to neutrality than that of other United Nations agencies. We applaud UNRWA’s implementation of the recommendations contained in the Colonna report, and we believe the Agency should be allocated the necessary resources to do so. Israel’s allegations cannot serve as grounds for adopting a unilateral decision preventing the Agency from conducting its operations, contrary to the United Nations resolutions. Seventh, turning to the matter of accountability, the Group of Arab States believes that we need to hold Israel accountable and responsible for the deaths of UNRWA personnel. A dangerous precedent must not be set by a Member State attacking a United Nations agency, killing its employees, destroying its premises and preventing it from carrying out its mandate. That would constitute the start of the end of the United Nations and of multilateral action in general. We call on the international community to provide the necessary legal, political and financial support to UNRWA so that it can continue its activities and serve the approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operations. Financial contributions to UNRWA’s budget are not a gift but represent a commitment to the cause of Palestinian refugees. Our Group would like to insist on the need for a definitive solution to the Agency’s funding issue, because the continued support of UNRWA not only helps Palestinian refugees, but also helps host countries to bear the burden and contributes to peace and stability in the Middle East region. By way of conclusion, the Group of Arab States, collectively and individually, would like to reaffirm its commitment to the unswerving Arab position. We applaud the resilience of our brotherly people, the Palestinians. As regards the Palestinian motherland, we categorically reject any attacks on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, whether through the annexation of land, colonization or the displacement, transfer or eviction of Palestinians, provisionally or in the long term. Our Group calls on the international community to work towards a just solution to the cause of the Palestinian refugees, guaranteeing their right to return pursuant to the resolutions of international legitimacy, including General Assembly resolution 194 (III), and also to implement the two-State solution, with a contiguous independent Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

I now give the floor to the representative of Jordan.

At the outset, Mr. President, I would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to Algeria for your distinguished efforts as President of the Security Council for this month, and we thank you for organizing this important debate. We would also like to thank the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for his valuable briefing to the Council, which highlights the critical situation confronting UNRWA in the light of the challenges imposed by Israel. I We express our appreciation and deepest respect to UNRWA staff for their efforts and the great sacrifices they have made while carrying out their noble humanitarian functions during the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war more than a year ago, UNRWA has lost 272 of its staff members. That is the largest number of casualties among any United Nations agency in any war in modern history and reflects the scale of the challenges confronting UNRWA due to the grave violations committed against it. While we are holding today’s meeting, the Israeli legislation against UNRWA will come into effect. Those laws aim to ban its activities and lift its immunity and that afforded to its staff and facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Those laws, like the other measures that Israel has taken and is taking to undermine the Agency’s work and its ability to implement its mandate, constitute grave violations of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law as the occupying Power and of the inviolability of the Agency, its facilities, its staff and their immunities under the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. Those laws also violate the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 478 (1980), which determines that the measures taken by Israel in occupied East Jerusalem to exercise sovereignty over it and alter its legal status as an occupied land are null and void. We reaffirm the rights of Palestinian refugees to return and compensation, pursuant to United Nations resolutions, and we stress that UNRWA is irreplaceable and indispensable in providing basic services. The Agency is a lifeline for approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. We reaffirm the urgent need for the Security Council and the international community to support the Agency so that it can implement its United Nations mandate fully. UNRWA is the only entity capable of carrying out the vital role of providing indispensable basic services to refugees and supporting the residents of Gaza as they confront the compounded humanitarian catastrophe. A number of humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies have repeatedly reaffirmed the Agency’s critical role and stated that no other entity has the capacity or the readiness to provide life-saving assistance and social services on the same scale as UNRWA does. UNRWA’s network is significantly more extensive than that of all other humanitarian agencies in the occupied Palestinian territory combined. It includes a larger number of schools, medical facilities, warehouses, offices and personnel. That role is crucial and indispensable, especially in the context of humanitarian operations in Gaza, which are a central part of implementing the ceasefire agreement. Undermining the work of UNRWA will jeopardize the stability of the region and exacerbate the suffering in Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians rely on the Agency’s services to confront hunger and meet their basic needs. We therefore call on the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities to protect the United Nations and its agencies and organs. We stress that there is a need to respect international law and the Charter of the United Nations when it comes to the work of United Nations agencies and organizations, given that Israeli decisions on UNRWA are illegal and undermine international law. Allowing any State to undermine the inviolability and immunities of United Nations agencies sets a dangerous precedent that will have disastrous repercussions. It will embolden others to perpetrate future violations in other conflict zones around the world. Therefore, we call on Israel to put an end to its violations against UNRWA and not to obstruct humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

There are still a number of speakers remaining on the list for this meeting. Given the lateness of the hour, I intend, with the concurrence of members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m.