Pakistan, key Muslim states condemn Israeli raid, call for bolstering UNRWA

Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority nations on Friday reaffirmed their strong support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), calling for sustained international funding and unhindered operations amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, the countries underscored UNRWA’s “indispensable” role in safeguarding the rights and welfare of millions of Palestinian refugees across the region.

The ministers welcomed the recent UN General Assembly decision to renew the agency’s mandate for another three years, saying the move reflected global confidence in UNRWA’s work in providing education, health care, social services and emergency relief in line with UNGA Resolution 302 (1949).

The statement strongly condemned the Israeli forces’ storming of UNRWA’s headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah area of East Jerusalem, calling it a “flagrant violation” of international law and the inviolability of UN premises.

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The ministers said the incident also contravened the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 22 October 2025, which obligates Israel, as the occupying power, to facilitate UNRWA’s operations rather than impede them.

Amid what the statement described as an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, the ministers highlighted UNRWA’s essential function in distributing food, relief items and basic necessities through its extensive network, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

The agency’s schools and clinics, they noted, continue to serve as a lifeline for communities facing extreme hardship.

The foreign ministers stressed that no alternative body has the infrastructure, field presence or expertise to replace UNRWA, warning that any attempt to weaken the agency’s capacity would trigger severe humanitarian, social and political consequences across the region.

They urged the international community to ensure predictable and adequate financing for the agency and to safeguard its ability to operate across all five fields of its mandate.

Supporting UNRWA, the ministers said, remains critical to regional stability and the protection of Palestinian refugee rights until a just and lasting solution, consistent with international law and UN resolutions including UNGA Resolution 194, is achieved.