Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi: We reject any discussion about alternatives to UNRWA because that means eliminating the political and legal issues of the refugee issue

Nidal Al-Azza: UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian assistance programs for refugees in general and the lifeline for refugees and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip

Sami Mshasha: The first day of the ceasefire in Gaza and the entry of about 550 trucks showed the pivotal role of UNRWA in receiving and distributing aid

Adnan Abu Hasna: UNRWA’s history and long experience make it the most capable entity to deal with major humanitarian disasters

Dr. Mukhaimer Abu Saada: Delegating the World Food Program to perform the role of UNRWA will not be sufficient to cover the services provided by the UN agency

Ziad Al-Hamouri: UNRWA still plays a major role in providing humanitarian aid in Gaza with the support of some Arab and European countries

It was no secret to anyone that the attack that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was recently subjected to by the Israeli occupation state has political and strategic dimensions, linked to the issue of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s attempts to close this file unilaterally, with the help of international parties, by eliminating the most prominent witness to it, which is the Relief Agency, and replacing it with other international bodies to carry out its tasks.

Politicians, writers and analysts who spoke to “I” said that any discussion about alternatives to UNRWA means eliminating the political and legal issue of the refugee issue, stressing that UNRWA constitutes the backbone of humanitarian assistance programs for refugees in general, and the lifeline for refugees and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, and that authorizing the World Food Program to carry out the role of UNRWA will not be sufficient to cover the services it provides.

UNRWA is an irreplaceable international institution.

Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, said that the experience has proven that UNRWA, over more than seven decades, is the best friend of the Palestinian people by providing its health, educational and relief services, in addition to many other services that cannot be replaced.

Abu Holi stressed that UNRWA is an irreplaceable international institution, pointing out that the 17 international organizations confirmed that they are unable to fill the void that may result from the absence of UNRWA, especially with the size of its budget, which amounts to 1.4 billion dollars, and its spread across five regions.

He added: "Even talk about replacing UNRWA with international organizations or transferring its responsibilities to host countries does not find any practical solutions."

He pointed out that Norway is currently leading an international movement based on the UN General Assembly resolution, in which 137 countries voted in favor of transferring the UNRWA case to the International Court of Justice.

Abu Holi stressed that UNRWA operates in accordance with a UN resolution issued in 1949 (Resolution 302), and that Israel is deliberately violating international law decisions and undermining UNRWA’s role through its recent legislation.

Abu Holi explained that Israel is clearly targeting UNRWA institutions and schools in Jerusalem, such as the Indian Corner Clinic at the entrance to Bab al-Sahira, UNRWA’s main headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, and boys’ and girls’ schools in Jerusalem, Sur Baher, and the Shuafat and Qalandia camps.

Israel seeks to seize headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah

He stressed that Israel seeks to seize the main headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah to establish 1,440 new settlement units, noting that American and international pressures have not yet succeeded in stopping these plans.

He added: "Targeting UNRWA will lead to a huge vacuum in the provision of services to Palestinian refugees, which will lead to their starvation, the closure of their schools, their ignorance, and the closure of the health centers on which they depend.

Regarding the party that will fill the void if UNRWA is prevented from performing its duties, Abu Holi said: “The issue is clear. We, in the Palestine Liberation Organization, say: There is no alternative to UNRWA except UNRWA. We reject any discussion about alternatives to it, because talking about alternatives means deleting the political and legal issue. Therefore, there are no alternatives, and let the occupation bear responsibility for the new war on the Palestinian people, which is embodied in starving the refugee community, closing their schools, and making them ignorant, in addition to closing UNRWA clinics and centers.

He stressed that UNRWA is a factor of stability in the region. It has been and remains a fundamental pillar of stability and a prelude to a comprehensive political solution.

Abu Holi concluded his statement to Al-Quds by saying: “UNRWA’s work is linked to a comprehensive and just political solution to the refugee issue, in accordance with UN Resolution 194.”

Guterres rejects Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA

For his part, Nidal Al-Azzeh, Director of the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Citizenship and Refugee Rights, said that UN agencies have repeatedly confirmed, as has the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, that UNRWA constitutes the backbone of humanitarian assistance programs for Palestinian refugees in general, and a lifeline for refugees and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Azza added: “The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, has repeatedly announced his rejection of the Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA, and his rejection of replacing it, considering this position to be extremely important.

He explained that Israel realizes that ending UNRWA will not be a knockout blow, but it is working to dismantle it gradually, while searching for parties to assume its responsibilities, even if temporarily.

Al-Azzeh pointed out that Israel knew from the beginning that the abolition of UNRWA through the United Nations General Assembly, which is the body that established the agency and has legal jurisdiction over it, was impossible.

He added: "Israel refuses to assume its responsibilities as an occupying power for strategic reasons related to the future of the territories occupied in 1967, and also because it realizes that providing the services performed by UNRWA will cost it a lot, which it does not want.

Liquidating UNRWA and drying up its funding sources

Al-Azza explained that the campaign to liquidate UNRWA was not limited to accusing it of inefficiency and corruption, but also included seeking to dry up its sources of funding, accusing it of embracing “terrorism,” and even canceling the agreements regulating the relationship with it, and proposing a project to replace UNRWA.

He added that the UNRWA replacement project has become more clear after the recent laws targeting it were passed. He explained that Israel aims through these laws to shift the burden to other parties, as it has done in the past, by imposing a fait accompli that forces other parties to intervene to fill the gaps in the international protection required.

Al-Azzeh stressed that Israel, throughout the stages of enacting these laws, kept the door open to the possibility of other parties taking over UNRWA’s tasks. He explained that these parties include UN agencies, international donor institutions, and host countries.

Al-Azza pointed out that the UN Secretary-General's rejection of the UNRWA replacement project prompted Israel to seek help from its allies, especially donor countries, to impose a new fait accompli.

US pressure to seize UNRWA's missions

He added that the United States is exerting intense pressure to persuade the Secretary-General to transfer the management of UNRWA operations to other UN agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a promise to pay the same amounts that were being provided to UNRWA.

Al-Azzeh continued: The Biden administration has instructed the US aid agency to activate its work in Gaza and refugee camps in the West Bank. He pointed out that some donor countries have decided to either stop or reduce their funding to UNRWA, such as Sweden, which has transferred its aid to other UN agencies, Japan, which has reduced its funding to UNRWA and increased its support for projects implemented by JICA, and the Netherlands, which has restricted its funding to include emergency aid only.

He explained that other European donor countries have decided to increase their funding to non-governmental organizations that are willing to assume some of UNRWA’s tasks. He saw this policy as a strategy to dry up UNRWA’s budget and replace it with international organizations that do not have an official mandate.

Al-Azza warned that these institutions, although they are able to provide temporary support, are not mandated by an international decision, which means they may withdraw at any time.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's plan

He pointed out that the plan to liquidate UNRWA was a major focus of Jared Kushner's plan during the Trump administration, as it aimed to transfer responsibility from the United Nations to the countries hosting Palestinian refugees and Arab and Islamic countries.

He explained that the plan included financial incentives for host countries, such as Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, to take over UNRWA's tasks.

Al-Azza concluded his speech by warning of the dangers of the return of this plan with the new Trump administration, noting that accepting to fill the void under the pretext of meeting urgent needs poses a great danger to the rights of refugees.

Al-Azza called on the host countries, the Palestinian Authority, and international and local institutions to reject any project that replaces UNRWA, and not to deal with any program that falls within the agency’s responsibilities, regardless of the temptations, stressing that this would be considered the implementation of an Israeli-American plan that aims to end UNRWA by imposing a fait accompli and drying up its sources of funding.

UNRWA has been an integral part of the fabric of Gaza for decades.

In turn, Sami Mshasha, an expert on international organizations and media affairs, said that the first day of the ceasefire in Gaza, which witnessed the entry of more than 550 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, confirmed the pivotal role of UNRWA and its enormous capabilities.

He explained that thousands of UNRWA employees, with their accumulated experience, were able to receive aid and begin distributing it despite the harsh conditions they experienced, as did all the people of Gaza.

He added: "UNRWA's trained and experienced crews succeeded in activating its warehouses, trucks and database, based on their previous experiences in responding to emergencies during previous wars on Gaza.

He pointed out that UNRWA programmes, including education, are working diligently to ensure that hundreds of thousands of students in the schools of the Strip do not lose the school year, in addition to the efforts of the departments of health, social services, mental health and others.

Mshasha stressed that UNRWA has been an integral part of the fabric of Gaza for decades, noting that attempts to end the agency’s existence or replace it with local alternatives or other international organizations have failed so far, due to the awareness of the people of Gaza of the danger of these attempts, more than they are the result of the existence of clear policies or plans by UN and UNRWA officials.

However, Mshasha warned that these achievements are at risk due to ongoing efforts to weaken the agency politically, procedurally and financially.

200 UNRWA facilities destroyed, 263 staff killed

He pointed to the enormous challenges facing UNRWA, especially in light of the destruction of more than 200 of its facilities in Gaza, most of which are schools, and the killing of 263 of its employees, which makes the task of restoring its health extremely difficult.

He added: "UNRWA in Jerusalem faces an existential threat represented by the evacuation of its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah by the end of the month, in addition to the closure of the Zawiya clinic within the walls of the Old City.

He explained that this situation reflects international and Palestinian surrender to Israeli policies, which puts more than 100,000 Jerusalemites registered in UNRWA records at risk, with serious repercussions on refugee services in Jerusalem.

Mshasha expected that UNRWA would continue to operate during 2025, but with great difficulty due to the increasing financial deficit, especially after the decline in American and Swedish financial support, the deterioration of Arab support, and the impossible conditions imposed by donor countries.

He warned that the continuation of these challenges would lead to a significant deterioration in UNRWA services in the West Bank and Gaza, noting that rebuilding the destroyed facilities in Gaza alone would require billions of dollars, a huge challenge for an agency suffering from severe financial distress.

Mish'sha concluded his statement to Al-Quds by warning of the existential dangers that threaten the right of return and UNRWA's role as a protector of this right, pointing to the clear weakness in the international and Palestinian positions to confront these challenges.

He said: "It is very difficult to stand by and watch attempts to eliminate your right as a refugee, your right as a human being, and your right as a Palestinian."

The agency continues its vital logistical work to support refugees in the Gaza Strip.

Adnan Abu Hasna, the official spokesman for UNRWA, said that the agency is continuing its vital logistical work to support Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, noting that the volume of work will expand in the coming period to deal with the increasing humanitarian challenges after the destruction witnessed in the region.

Abu Hasna explained that UNRWA has a huge logistical force that includes thousands of employees, institutions and warehouses, which qualifies it to play its vital role in distributing food and humanitarian aid.

He added: "Since the ceasefire, food distribution operations in Gaza have been expanded, and we continue to enhance this role to serve the affected population."

He stressed that UNRWA will not close its operations under any circumstances, despite the uncertainty about the decisions that the Israeli government may take in the coming weeks.

13,000 permanent employees and 10,000 in temporary programs

He stressed, "No one can replace UNRWA except UNRWA itself. Other organizations, despite our respect for them, depend on others to carry out tasks and do not carry them out directly as UNRWA does."

Abu Hasna pointed out that UNRWA employs about 13,000 permanent employees in Gaza, in addition to 10,000 others in temporary programs.

He continued: "UNRWA's operations will expand significantly, especially in light of the massive destruction caused by the recent aggression on the Strip. UNRWA's history of more than 76 years and its long experience make it the body most capable of dealing with major humanitarian disasters."

Abu Hasna stressed that UNRWA remains the backbone of humanitarian services in Gaza, explaining that expanding the scope of current operations reflects the agency's commitment to alleviating the suffering of Palestinian refugees and providing the necessary support to rebuild what was destroyed by the aggression.

Israel's decision to ban UNRWA is 'punitive'

For his part, Dr. Mukhaimer Abu Saada, Professor of Political Science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, described Israel’s decision to ban the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories as “punitive” and directly targeting the Palestinian people and refugees, warning of serious repercussions on their humanitarian conditions.

Abu Saada pointed out that the agency, which was established in 1949, is the primary source for providing education, health care, and employment services to Palestinian refugees.

He explained that there are more than 320,000 Palestinian students in the Gaza Strip who depend on the agency's schools, in addition to thousands who receive primary health care services.

He stressed that the proposed alternatives, such as authorizing the World Food Programme to assume UNRWA's role, would not be sufficient to cover all the services provided by the agency.

He added: "Even if the World Food Programme is tasked, it will not be able to meet all the basic needs that a large segment of Palestinian refugees depend on."

Abu Saada expressed his concern that many countries have stopped funding the agency, which further complicates the humanitarian crisis.

The continuation of UNRWA's work is linked to the absence of a political solution to the issue.

He stressed the need for the United Nations and the international community to insist on Israel retracting its decision, stressing that the continuation of UNRWA's work is linked to the absence of a political solution to the Palestinian issue.

Abu Saada explained that if a comprehensive political solution is reached and an independent Palestinian state is established, the Palestinian state can supervise the services provided by UNRWA.

But he stressed that in light of the continued Israeli occupation, the agency remains the only entity capable of supervising education, health and employment issues in accordance with the mandate granted to it since 1949.

Abu Saada said at the end of his statements to Al-Quds that Israel, with this decision, has placed the world in a new humanitarian crisis and has further complicated the living conditions of Palestinian refugees, which calls for urgent international action to protect the rights of refugees and prevent their conditions from deteriorating further.

Continuous attempts to conspire against UNRWA to close it

For his part, the Director of the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, Ziad Hamouri, stressed the historical importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the lives of Palestinian refugees, and its pivotal role in preserving the refugee issue.

He pointed to the ongoing attempts to conspire against the agency's role by some funding countries, recalling the accusations against some of its employees last year, and the attempts to close its institutions, especially in the city of Jerusalem.

Al-Hamouri explained that there are clear examples of the restrictions, such as the closure of the “Indian Corner Clinic” in Jerusalem, which provided important health services to Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem.

He stated that this clinic had previously been closed under the pretext of auditing, but it had resumed operations for a period, only to be closed again recently, causing great harm to these refugees.

Al-Hamouri also pointed out the danger of closing the UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem, stressing that the land on which it is being built is Jordanian land granted to the agency by the Jordanian government.

UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem and Jordanian sovereignty

He explained that this headquarters is supposed to remain under the sovereignty of the Jordanian government, but it is being subjected to attempts to weaken its role.

Al-Hamouri added that what is happening in Gaza shows the importance of the agency's continued role, contrary to what the Israelis and Americans wished for, as they sought to close it.

He stressed that UNRWA continues to play a major role in providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, with the support of some Arab and European countries that continued to fund it.

Al-Hamouri stressed that there is currently no possibility of creating an alternative to UNRWA, given its ability to manage statistics and data related to Palestinian refugees, and its precise knowledge of the places and facilities in which it provides its services.