Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed, on Wednesday, in Riyadh, with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and the agency.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the meeting between Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Lazaini witnessed "a review of aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and UNRWA."

The meeting also witnessed "discussing regional developments and the efforts made in this regard," without further details.

The meeting comes amid pressures facing UNRWA.

On October 28, the Israeli Knesset finally approved the ban on UNRWA activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The decision will go into effect 3 months after the vote, i.e. the end of January.

Israel claimed that UNRWA employees were part of the October 7, 2023 attacks, a claim denied by the agency, which the United Nations has affirmed its commitment to neutrality, while the Palestinians say that Tel Aviv's goal is to liquidate the agency and the refugee issue.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked 22 settlements and 11 military bases along the Gaza Strip, killing and capturing Israelis in response to “the occupation’s daily crimes against the Palestinian people and their holy sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque,” according to the movement.

UNRWA was established shortly after the Palestinian Nakba in 1948, with the aim of assisting Palestinian refugees who were displaced after the Nakba following the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel.

UNRWA is currently active in five main areas: the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and today serves approximately 5.9 million Palestinians, according to its official data.