AMMAN: Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has voiced strong opposition to proposed legislation in the Israeli Knesset that targets the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), describing the moves as a severe breach of international norms.
According to Jordan News Agency, during a meeting with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Safadi denounced the Israeli draft resolutions, which he said threaten UNRWA’s status and operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. He characterized these legislative efforts as not only a flagrant violation of international law but also as actions that strip the Palestinian people of essential services and rights upheld by the global community.
Safadi emphasized that these Israeli actions could potentially allow ongoing breaches of Palestinian rights, hindering their access to necessary humanitarian aid such as food, medicine, and educational services. He highlighted the critical nature of UNRWA’s work, which he described as ir
replaceable, and expressed concerns that the Israeli agenda might aim to undermine the Palestinian refugee issue altogether.
The discussions between Safadi and Lazzarini also focused on strategies for mobilizing political and legal support to counteract the threat these Israeli draft resolutions pose to UNRWA. They called on the international community to bolster their political and financial backing for the agency, which plays a pivotal role in supporting millions of Palestinian refugees not only in the Gaza Strip and West Bank but across its five operational zones.