Qatar condemns unprecedented Israeli ban of UNRWA

The State of Qatar participated in the extraordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of permanent representatives, held at the headquarters of the Arab League General Secretariat in Cairo, to discuss the dangerous and illegitimate laws passed by the Israeli Knesset. These laws would lead to the prohibition of activities by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and to consider steps needed to rally international support to counter them.

Representing the State of Qatar at the meeting was Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the Arab League Maryam Ahmed Al Shaibi.

In her speech at the meeting, held Thursday at Jordan’s request, Al Shaibi strongly condemned the enactment of illegal laws that prohibit UNRWA activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. She noted that Qatar considers this act a dangerous precedent against the United Nations and multilateral work, as well as a continuation of the occupations genocidal war against the defenseless Palestinian people and part of systematic oppression targeting this UN agency and its vital humanitarian operations.

She emphasised that the Palestinian people in Gaza, who have faced catastrophic humanitarian conditions due to brutal aggression that has continued for over a year, will suffer further under these unjust laws. These laws will inevitably lead to severe humanitarian and political consequences by depriving millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria of essential UNRWA services and undermine the Palestinian refugee issue, denying them their legally guaranteed right of return.

Al Shaibi reaffirmed Qatars full support for UNRWA, grounded in Qatars steadfast and supportive stance towards the Palestinian people and their right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. She stressed that these laws would not deter Qatar from fulfilling its commitments to support UNRWA, with the latest contribution exceeding $100 million. She added that these Israeli laws will not affect the pivotal role played by Arab partners in addressing humanitarian crises and supporting Palestinian refugees.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League pointed out that Israels ongoing disregard for international laws, agreements, and resolutions, its contempt for the activities and objectives of UN organisations, and its continued crimes of killing and forced displacement of Palestinians call for regional and international solidarity to end the barbaric, brutal war on the Palestinian people and to provide necessary assistance. She affirmed Qatars solidarity with its Arab brothers in whatever measures they agree upon concerning these unjust actions and expressed Qatars support for the outcomes of this emergency meeting in support of the Palestinian people and in loyalty to the Palestinian cause, which remains the foremost Arab cause and a matter of global human conscience.