Jordan Condemns Israeli Draft Resolutions Targeting UNRWA

Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, has strongly condemned the draft resolutions in the Israeli Knesset aimed at targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories. Safadi emphasized that such moves would be a blatant violation of international law and a deprivation of the Palestinian people's vital rights and services. The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, expressed support for Safadi's stance, urging the international community to confront the Israeli draft resolutions and protect international law. The two officials discussed taking collective action to counter the Israeli threat to the agency in cooperation with regional and international partners.

Key Takeaways:

• The Jordanian government, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, has denounced the Israeli draft resolutions targeting the UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Safadi described the draft resolutions as a "blatant violation of international law" and a deprivation of the Palestinian people's rights to food, medicine, education, and relief services.
• The minister emphasized that UNRWA's role is "irreplaceable" and that Israel's targeting of UNRWA is part of an attempt to "liquidate" the refugee issue, which must be resolved according to international legitimacy resolutions.
• Safadi and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini have proposed taking collective action to counter the Israeli threat to the agency in cooperation with regional and international partners.
• The two officials have urged the international community to provide political and financial support to UNRWA, which supports millions of Palestinian refugees in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as other areas of operation.

Statistics:

• UNRWA provides essential services to over 5 million Palestinian refugees across five areas of operation, including the Occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
• These services include food distribution, medical care, education, and relief services.
• The agency faces a significant threat from Israel's draft resolutions, which could compromise its operations and deprive Palestinian refugees of their basic human rights.
• Safadi and Lazzarini have called upon the international community to provide a total of $1.7 billion in support for UNRWA's operations in 2024.

Sources:

• Jordan News Agency, 13 Oct 2024
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) website (no date provided)