The Arab League Council convened a meeting of representatives at its Cairo headquarters on Thursday to consider the ramifications of the Israeli Knesset banning the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) reported.
The Knesset voted on Monday to pass the law, citing alleged UNRWA involvement with Hamas. The Knesset’s decision includes a provision that will, within three months, prohibit UNRWA employees from interacting with Israeli officials, effectively severing one of Palestine’s few support networks.
Sahar Al-Jobury, head of UNRWA’s office in Egypt, warned about the severe consequences of banning the agency, particularly in Gaza. For over 70 years, she said, UNRWA has provided critical healthcare, education, and aid to Palestinian refugees both within their homeland and abroad.
The agency has also endured considerable losses since Israel’s war on Hamas began on October 8, 2023. Al-Jobury reported that 237 UNRWA workers have lost their lives while on duty and over 200 of its facilities have been damaged or destroyed within just the past year.
Morocco’s ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative to the Arab League, Mohamed Ait Ouali, reaffirmed Morocco’s “steadfast position” on the Palestinian cause, which King Mohammed VI, as chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, considers central to Morocco’s foreign policy.
“The King has consistently supported Morocco’s position advocating for the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he told the representatives.
Ait Ouali also highlighted Morocco’s humanitarian aid initiatives, including large-scale deliveries of medical supplies and food for the Palestinian people. He further underscored Morocco’s opposition to any unilateral actions that could jeopardize regional peace and potentially fuel violence and extremism.
Moroccan officials maintain that provocations or escalations from other stakeholders threaten to stall progress toward a political resolution of the Palestine issue during the conference.