President, Secretary-General, and Commissioner General,

Let me start by reiterating the European Union’s appreciation for the vital role that UNRWA plays in providing crucial support to the over 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in its care.

The EU deplores the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, especially women and children, in Gaza and the West Bank, and the catastrophic levels of hunger and imminent risk of famine. At a time when access for humanitarian aid is at its lowest level since the start of this crisis, let me reaffirm the urgency of full, rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid at scale and of ensuring that humanitarian workers can operate safely and effectively. 

In this horrifying context, UNRWA plays a crucial role in the humanitarian response, delivering life-saving support to a population facing critical and immense needs. Over the last 13 months, 233 UNRWA personnel have been killed and over 200 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed. These incidents underscore the urgent need for greater protection of humanitarian workers, their premises and assets. We call on all Parties to respect their obligations under international law, including International Humanitarian Law.  

In light of the recent Knesset decisions, the EU condemns any attempt to abrogate the 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA or to otherwise attempt to obstruct UNRWA’s capacity to fulfil its mandate adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1949 and renewed since. If implemented, the laws will have far-reaching consequences, stopping all UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, de facto preventing UNRWA’s vital operations in Gaza hampering UNRWA’s provision of health, education and social services both in the West Bank and Gaza and revoking UNRWA’s diplomatic privileges and immunities in Israel. This would spell catastrophe for the humanitarian response in Gaza. As stated by all Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the Secretary General: There is no alternative to UNRWA.

Recognizing UNRWA’s irreplaceable role and work, the EU Commission, together with a number of EU Member States, are UNRWA’s top donor, providing approximately €500m annually, amounting to over 40% of UNRWA’s budget. This substantial commitment underscores our resolve to support UNRWA’s crucial work, particularly at a time when the needs of Palestinian refugees are greater than ever. We thank all other international partners that have already stepped up their support and I invite other international partners to contribute in order to respond to the massive needs across all five fields of UNRWA operations.

As long as there is no sustainable solution to the conflict, the mandate of UNRWA will remain vital and we will continue our support to it.

Thank you.