CEIRPP 421st Meeting – Election of Officers, Statement by the Secretary-General, and Briefing by UNRWA – Summary record (A/AC.183/SR.421)

5 February 2025

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights

of the Palestinian People

Summary record of the 421st meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Wednesday, 5 February 2025, at 3 p.m.

Temporary Chair:   Mr. Guterres……………….. (Secretary-General of the United Nations)

Chair:   Mr. Seck……………………………………………. (Senegal)

Contents

Adoption of the agenda

Election of officers

Statement by the Secretary-General

Statement by the Chair

Update by the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations

Statement by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Briefing by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food

Briefing by the Senior Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA

Adoption of the programme of work for 2025

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.

Adoption of the agenda (A/AC.183/2025/L.1)

1. The agenda was adopted.

Election of officers

2. The Temporary Chair invited the Committee to consider nominations for the posts of Chair, Vice-Chairs and Rapporteur of the Committee.
3. The following nominations had been received by the secretariat of the Committee: Mr. Seck (Senegal) for election as Chair; Mr. Soberón Guzmán (Cuba), Mr. Nasir (Indonesia), Mr. Gertze (Namibia) and Mr. Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) for election as Vice-Chairs; and Mr. Muhamad (Malaysia) for election as Vice-Chair and Rapporteur.
4. Mr. Soberón Guzmán (Cuba), Mr. Nasir (Indonesia), Mr. Muhamad (Malaysia), Mr. Gertze (Namibia), Mr. Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) and Mr. Seck (Senegal) were elected by acclamation.
5. Mr. Seck (Senegal) took the Chair.

Statement by the Secretary-General

6. The Secretary-General said that, at its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people was about the right of Palestinians to live as human beings in their own land. The realization of those rights was slipping further out of reach. The international community had witnessed the chilling systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.
7. Nothing justified the horrific Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, and nothing justified what had unfolded since in Gaza. Close to 50,000 people, mostly women and children, had reportedly been killed; most of the civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and water facilities, had been destroyed; most of the population had been displaced, often repeatedly; people were facing hunger and disease; and children had been out of school for over a year. An entire generation had been left homeless and traumatized.
8. He welcomed the ceasefire and hostage release deal and thanked the mediators – Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America – for their continued efforts to ensure its implementation. It was important to keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay, to prevent a return to death and destruction. Rapid, safe, unimpeded, expanded and sustained humanitarian access was necessary to enable the United Nations to reach Palestinians in need and scale up support. He called upon Member States, donors and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations and support the essential work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
9. In searching for solutions, it was essential not to make the problem worse. It was vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law and avoid any form of ethnic cleansing. The international community must reaffirm the two-State solution. Any durable peace would require tangible, irreversible and permanent progress towards the two-State solution, an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part. A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel was the only sustainable solution for stability in the Middle East.
10. The situation continued to unravel in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He was gravely concerned about the growing violence by Israeli settlers and other violations. As affirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory must end. International law must be respected and accountability ensured. The international community must work to preserve the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ensure the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. Strong and unified Palestinian governance was crucial. To that end, the international community must support the Palestinian Authority.
11. The United Nations was fully committed to peace, stability and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. He commended the Committee’s dedication to achieving those goals and called upon the international community to fully support its efforts.

Statement by the Chair

12. The Chair said that he commended the Secretary-General’s leadership and consistent position in favour of a definitive solution to the Palestinian question. He wished to pay tribute to UNRWA staff and their commitment to continue their work in spite of the many challenges. While the ceasefire had been an important step towards ensuring the resumption of aid, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the return of Gazans to their land, in recent days, several troubling statements had been made that threatened to undermine the progress made and exacerbate the difficult situation on the ground. Attacks by the Israeli army had resulted in further civilian casualties, and the delivery of aid was being hampered by two laws passed by the Knesset banning UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. He called upon the international community to denounce those unilateral and illegal measures and speak in defence of the Palestinian people, who had every right to live in peace in the land of their forebears, and urged the Secretary-General to leverage his influence to ensure that displaced Gazans could return.
13. The year 2025 was a pivotal one for the Palestinian cause. The Committee must continue to prioritize the implementation of the two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 borders. The High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, to be held in June 2025, would be a crucial opportunity for the international community to arrive at a consensus on a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Palestine, guided by the relevant ICJ advisory opinions and United Nations resolutions, in particular General Assembly resolution ES-10/24, in order to end the occupation, the risk of genocide and other illegal Israeli measures and practices in the occupied territories. Sustained advocacy must continue. Such efforts had already led to Member States recognizing the State of Palestine and supporting its admission as a full Member of the United Nations.

Update by the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations

14. Mr. Mansour (Observer for the State of Palestine) said that his delegation appreciated the principled position articulated by the Secretary-General since the start of the conflict and his calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. His delegation welcomed the current ceasefire in Gaza, but called for it to become a permanent ceasefire covering all parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. All provisions of stages one, two and three of the ceasefire agreement must be implemented, including the provisions concerning the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of displaced Gazans.
15. His delegation would continue to defend UNRWA so that it could provide essential services, including education, to 6 million Palestine refugees until a just political solution was found. The Agency’s mandate had been given to it by the General Assembly and therefore no Government had the authority to pass laws intended to render it powerless or destroy it.
16. His delegation would work with all Member States to ensure the success of the High-level International Conference. The Conference was aimed at advancing the implementation of the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, in which the Court had determined that the Israeli occupation was unlawful and must be brought to an end as rapidly as possible, and General Assembly ES-10/24, in which the Assembly had demanded that Israel bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months. In its advisory opinion, the Court had also determined that the United Nations, in particular the Assembly, should consider the precise modalities and further action required to bring to an end the occupation. He invited Member States, international organizations and regional groups to indicate, prior to the holding of the Conference, their planned contributions to helping to bring an end to the occupation, with a view to make the two-State solution a reality. The objectives of the High-level International Conference were supported by the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, established by Saudi Arabia, the European Union and Norway. Over 80 countries and regional organizations had attended the most recent meeting of the Global Alliance, held in Oslo in January 2025.
17. He called upon Member States to help his Government to rebuild Gaza, which was a precious part of the Palestinian homeland and the State of Palestine, as was the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinians would not leave their ancestral homeland. His delegation was grateful to those States, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, that had issued statements rejecting proposals to remove Palestinians from Gaza, which amounted to ethnic cleansing. In recent days, 400,000 Palestinians had seized the opportunity to return to northern Gaza from the south.
18. His delegation would work closely with the Secretary-General, the Committee and all interested Member States to put an end to the current tragedy and achieve peace as soon as possible, based on international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. As noted previously by the Secretary-General, there was no plan B to the two-State solution.

Statement by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

19. The Chair said that the Bureau of the Committee wished to reaffirm its unwavering support for UNRWA, particularly at a time when the Agency’s mandate and continued operations in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, were under threat. In a statement issued on 31 January 2025, the Bureau had condemned the adoption by Israel of laws banning UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in violation of General Assembly resolution ES-10/25 on support for the mandate of UNRWA, and had urged Israel to immediately suspend and reverse the implementation of the laws.
20. Ms. Gunnarsdóttir (Director, UNRWA Representative Office, New York), speaking on behalf of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said that the laws passed by the Knesset prohibiting UNRWA operations “within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel” and forbidding contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA representatives contravened international law, had been condemned by most Member States and had created significant operational challenges for UNRWA. The limitation of visas for international UNRWA staff in occupied East Jerusalem meant that they had effectively been expelled. Although UNRWA had been obliged to evacuate its compound in Sheikh Jarrah, it remained a United Nations building, protected under international law.
21. Thanks to the Agency’s local staff, who were continuing to work where possible, at considerable personal risk and in an increasingly hostile operating environment, UNRWA schools and health clinics in the West Bank remained open. UNRWA operations in Gaza also continued and a core team of international staff was present. Although it was unclear to what extent the prohibition on contact between UNRWA and Israeli officials would constrain the Agency’s operations, UNRWA remained committed to staying and to delivering on its mandate until it was no longer possible to do so.
22. While the ceasefire in Gaza had brought hope, the situation on the ground was dire and the humanitarian needs immense. UNRWA was critical to ensuring the success of the ceasefire. The Agency was responsible for half the emergency response in Gaza. Since October 2023, it had delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over 1 million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio. Since the start of the ceasefire, UNRWA had distributed food to over 750,000 people. UNRWA staff conducted 17,000 medical consultations per day. Health services had been expanded to Gaza City and northern Gaza.
23. The resumption of education services was a priority. In January 2025, over 260,000 children, half of them girls, had enrolled in the Agency’s online learning platform. Absent a full-fledged State, only UNRWA had the capacity to bring children back to learning. Curtailing the Agency’s operations at a time when needs were high and trust in the international community was low would undermine the ceasefire and sabotage the recovery and political transition of Gaza.
24. Violence was surging in the occupied West Bank. Large swathes of the Jenin refugee camp had been destroyed in controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces. Depriving refugees in the occupied West Bank of UNRWA education and health care services would make them even more vulnerable.
25. The laws passed by the Knesset were part of a campaign to dismantle UNRWA. The Government of Israel was investing significant resources to portray the Agency as a terrorist organization and its staff as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. It had paid for billboards accusing UNRWA of terrorism to be displayed in major cities, including New York, and for search engine advertising to redirect those seeking information about the Agency to websites replete with disinformation. Anti-UNRWA propaganda posed a threat to the safety of staff, in particular in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and set a precedent for Governments to criminalize humanitarian assistance and protection and accuse a United Nations entity of terrorism as a pretext to clamp down on human rights.
26. The attacks against the Agency were motivated by a desire to strip Palestine refugees of their refugee status and unilaterally change the long-established parameters for a political solution, with a view to erasing the history and identity of the Palestinian people and denying them the right to self-determination. The right of Palestine refugees to protection and assistance existed independently of the Agency. Even if UNRWA ceased to be able to protect and assist Palestine refugees, those rights would remain; moreover, there would be greater emphasis on the right to return or be resettled, for which UNRWA had no mandate.
27. UNRWA also faced financial challenges, as key donors had reduced or suspended their funding for the Agency. She appealed to Member States to consider providing increased financial support, disbursing funds early and reviewing any funding currently on hold.
28. The ceasefire in Gaza must be followed by a political transition that included the orderly conclusion of the Agency’s mandate. Only a political path could ensure the protection and welfare of Palestine refugees, and peace and stability in the region and beyond. If UNRWA was left to implode due to the Israeli laws and the suspension of funding by key donors, the impact on Palestine refugees would be catastrophic. Instead, UNRWA should be allowed to conclude its mandate gradually within the framework of a political process and hand over to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions.
29. She called upon the international community to push back against the implementation of the two laws. UNRWA personnel and services were integral to the success of the ceasefire. The international community should insist on a genuine political path that delineated the Agency’s role as a provider of education and health care services. The international community should also ensure that a financial crisis did not put an abrupt end to the Agency’s life-saving work. UNRWA could not continue to operate without adequate resources. For 75 years, UNRWA had been a stabilizing force and a partner for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory, and it must be allowed to remain so until a political solution was at hand.

Briefing by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food

30. Mr. Fakhri (Special Rapporteur on the right to food), speaking via video link, said that, as noted in his report entitled “Starvation and the right to food, with an emphasis on the Palestinian people’s food sovereignty” (A/79/171), Israel had announced its starvation campaign against Gaza on 9 October 2023. On 20 October 2023, he and other mandate holders had warned of the risk of genocide. Never had a population been made to go hungry so quickly and so completely as was the case for the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza. Prior to 7 October 2023, Gaza had been under a blockade for 23 years, with half of the population already food-insecure and 80 per cent reliant on humanitarian aid. He recalled that UNRWA had been established in 1949 to prevent conditions of starvation among Palestine refugees.
31. While the ceasefire and reconstruction efforts were important, the international community must also ensure that Palestinians no longer faced the risk of starvation and genocide. ICJ had recognized the risk of genocide and the spread of starvation in Gaza, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued arrest warrants for the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, for crimes including starvation. Even if a recognized State of Palestine were created, it would still be adjacent to the State of Israel, the very State that had created conditions of starvation and genocide. Therefore, the focus must be on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, in particular the right of return and the right to self-determination. Those rights were essential for any future political negotiations and were too often overlooked.
32. In addition to attacking Palestinians living in Gaza, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, the Israeli Government had also attacked the United Nations, killing staff members in Gaza, shooting at peacekeepers in Lebanon, declaring the Secretary-General persona non grata, and targeting the human rights system and mandate holders.
33. Without the support of certain Member States, Israel would not have been able to implement its starvation campaign and commit genocide. With the current United States Administration retreating from international law and withdrawing support from the United Nations, including by defunding UNRWA and exiting the Human Rights Council, the international legal order and the United Nations itself were at risk. The tools and policies developed to support the liberation of the Palestinian people were the same ones needed to rebuild the international legal order. He welcomed the establishment of the Hague Group, which was committed to advancing the implementation of the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 and General Assembly resolution ES-10/24. He invited other Member States committed to international law to join the group.

Briefing by the Senior Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA

34. Mr. Almadhoun (Senior Director of Philanthropy, UNRWA USA) said that in November 2023, his brother, his sister-in-law and their four children had been killed when Israel had dropped a bomb on their home in northern Gaza. For a week, his mother had stood guard over their bodies to protect them from stray dogs until they could be buried. Days later, footage had emerged of his other brother being paraded in his underwear by the Israeli army, having been falsely accused of being a fighter. His brother had eventually been released far from home, barefoot and wearing only his underwear. Meanwhile, his sister had been reduced to baking bread from animal feed.
35. In February 2023, together with another brother, Mahmoud, he had co-founded a soup kitchen, medical clinic and small school in northern Gaza. Many others in Gaza had launched similar small-scale efforts, supported by donations from around the world. In November 2024, Mahmoud, a father of seven, had been killed in a targeted Israeli strike. His death had been a deliberate act to silence him and others who stood in the way of the erasure of Gaza.
36. Despite all those hardships, his family had never considered leaving Gaza, because history showed that Palestinians who left were not allowed to return. Forcing Palestinians out of Gaza was as unrealistic as draining the oceans. Countless other Palestinian families had endured similar tragedies, yet they too remained steadfast, even in the face of relentless assaults, deliberate starvation and forced displacement.
37. He called upon the international community to reaffirm its commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. Supporting UNRWA was not merely an act of charity, but a demonstration of shared values and commitment to justice. UNRWA USA, a non-profit organization that supported UNRWA, had coordinated the delivery of grass-roots donations totalling millions of dollars to support the Agency’s services. It was heartening to know that individual donors from over 80 countries, including from within Israel, supported the Agency’s work and the Palestinian people in their darkest hour.
38. The Chair said that the Committee wished to reaffirm its support for the many Palestinians in Gaza who had self-organized during the war and its aftermath to provide humanitarian aid, and to extend its condolences to the families of all humanitarian workers who had lost their lives in service, feeding and supporting the besieged population of Gaza.
39. Mr. Yıldız (Türkiye) said that proposals to forcibly displace or relocate Palestinians from Gaza or annex any parts of the Palestinian territory were unacceptable. The forcible transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territory would be a serious violation of international law. The realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people was more urgent than ever. His delegation reiterated its commitment to UNRWA.
40. Mr. Prabowo (Indonesia) said that while the ceasefire offered a brief respite, it was not sufficient. The challenges ahead were enormous. His delegation rejected any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians. The only way to achieve lasting peace in the region was to address the root cause, namely the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. His delegation was also concerned about the escalation of violence in the West Bank. The cycle of violence must end. The Palestinian people had endured too much. Their inalienable rights must be upheld.
41. There should be renewed focus on the full implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions and ICJ advisory opinions and provisional measures, which reflected global legal and political consensus on resolving the conflict and advancing a just and lasting solution. The Committee’s programme of work should contribute to ongoing initiatives aimed at ending the illegal occupation and upholding the rights of Palestinians. UNRWA remained indispensable in delivering humanitarian aid and protecting the rights of Palestine refugees. The international community must condemn the Israeli laws aimed at weakening UNRWA and take decisive action to safeguard the Agency’s ability to fulfil its mandate. Through its work, the Committee should sustain international engagement and solidarity with the Palestinian people and safeguard the two-State solution.
42. Mr. Salah (Tunisia) said that the perpetrators of the crimes committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank must be held to account. His delegation wished to underline the vital role of UNRWA and his country’s support for the Palestinian people in their struggle to exercise their legitimate and inalienable rights, in particular the right to establish an independent State with sovereignty over the entirety of the Palestinian land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
43. Mr. Pérez Ayestarán (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) said that the situation on the ground was dire. The ceasefire in Gaza could be jeopardized by recent events in the West Bank, including the so-called Iron Wall operation by the Israeli occupying forces, which had resulted in deaths and the destruction of UNRWA refugee camps and vital infrastructure. In the light of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and recent statements made by the United States Government attacking the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the viability of the two-State solution, the Committee must intensify its efforts and play a central role in the High-level International Conference, including the preparation of the outcome document. The Palestinian people must be allowed to realize their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and to return to their ancestral land, and the State of Palestine must be admitted as a full Member of the United Nations.
44. Mr. Muhamad (Malaysia) said that the escalation of tensions in the West Bank due to increased operations by the occupying forces posed a threat to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. His delegation condemned the Israeli laws banning UNRWA from operating and saluted the Agency’s staff, who continued to carry out their functions at great personal risk. UNRWA, as the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza and the provider of essential services to Palestine refugees, was indispensable and irreplaceable, and must be defended. The Agency’s continued operations were critical to the success of the ceasefire. The two-State solution was the only viable and internationally recognized pathway to achieving sustainable peace in the region. His delegation was appalled by talk of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homeland and would continue to advocate the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and a sovereign State of Palestine.
45. Ms. Persaud (Guyana) said that her delegation hoped that the ceasefire would be a stepping stone to lasting peace and that negotiations between the parties would continue in good faith with a view to securing a permanent end to the war and the release of all hostages. While the increase in humanitarian aid and medical evacuations was welcome, administrative impediments to the full operationalization of humanitarian efforts must be removed.
46. The escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank was concerning, particularly given that UNRWA was no longer authorized to operate in the area and therefore had reduced capacity to respond to humanitarian needs. The pattern of violent conflict between Israel and Palestine was unsustainable. Efforts to realize the two-State solution must advance with urgency. As the occupying Power, Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure that the humanitarian needs of civilians throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory were met. UNRWA, the only entity with the capacity to deliver services to the Palestinian people at the required scale, must be allowed to carry out the mandate given to it by the General Assembly; only the Assembly could alter or terminate that mandate. Her delegation looked forward to the issuance of an advisory opinion by ICJ on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Her delegation underscored the importance of accelerating efforts to secure a comprehensive, just and peaceful solution to the conflict and reaffirmed its support for the two-State solution based on the pre-1967 borders.
47. Mr. Soberón Guzmán (Cuba) said that since 7 October 2023, over 47,000 Palestinians had been killed and 111,500 wounded in Gaza. The Israeli laws banning UNRWA were affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services. His delegation called for an end to the Israeli apartheid and other illegal policies and practices, and condemned the Israeli operations in the West Bank, which were an extension of the genocide against the Palestinian people. Cuba would continue to support a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the conflict, on the basis of a two-State solution that would allow the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination in an independent sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, along pre-1967 lines, and the right of return for refugees. Gaza and the other Palestinian territories belonged exclusively to the Palestinian people. The ceasefire was an opportunity to resolve the conflict and put an end, once for all, to attempts to exterminate the Palestinian people. His delegation would continue to call for the immediate and unconditional admission of Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations.
48. Ms. Rizk (Observer for Egypt) said that the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination, through the establishment of an independent, contiguous Palestinian State on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, was a cornerstone of the foreign policy of Egypt. Egypt, together with Qatar and the United States, had helped to secure a ceasefire in Gaza after more than 15 months of heavy bombardment by Israel against Palestinian civilians. Egypt was committed to supporting the Palestinian people in their just struggle, including by ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing and by providing medical treatment to Palestinians in Egypt.
49. Mr. Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) said that his delegation would continue to support all initiatives aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and realizing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, the right of return and the right to live in peace and security in a free, sovereign and independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Committee must speak out against the war crimes and genocide being committed against the Palestinian people. The United Nations was being manipulated and trampled on by Israel, which continued to show disregard for international law and international humanitarian law. The international community must demand that Israel respect all relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular those adopted at the resumed tenth emergency special session, as well as the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024.
50. It was essential for the Committee to hear first-hand accounts of the reality on the ground and the suffering of the Palestinian people. The international community must reject all attempts to expel or displace Palestinians, annex Palestinian territory or expand Israeli settlements. Only the Palestinian people had the right to decide their future.
51. The continued functioning of UNRWA was critical to the survival of the Palestinian people. The action taken by Israel to force the closure of UNRWA premises, falsely claiming sovereignty over Palestinian territory, was another form of genocide against the Palestinian people, in an attempt to kill them not with bombs and missiles but with hunger and disease.
52. While his delegation welcomed the support expressed by Western States for the two-State solution, the next step was to grant the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations. His delegation would continue to call for an end to Israeli impunity and the occupation. Those who supported Israel or remained silent were contributing to the genocide and suffering of the Palestinian people.
53. Mr. Alnasr (Observer for Qatar) said that the Committee had a crucial role to play in addressing the question of Palestine. The efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States had helped to bring about the ceasefire and the prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas. His delegation called upon all parties to fully implement all stages and provisions of the agreement. The ceasefire was essential to ensuring the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. The international community must work together to plan and implement a comprehensive reconstruction process for Gaza that ensured that Palestinians could remain on their land. UNRWA was the backbone of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza. The prohibition of the Agency’s operations would have serious humanitarian and political consequences. Qatar supported the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in particular their right to establish an independent State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-State solution.
54. Mr. Rashid (Pakistan) said that the brutal Israeli military assault had inflicted immense human suffering on the people of Gaza. The indiscriminate and genocidal attacks had killed over 46,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in blatant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law. His delegation called for all provisions of the ceasefire agreement to be implemented fully with a view to achieving a permanent cessation of hostilities and preventing further suffering of civilians.
55. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas must not be used as an opportunity to escalate violence elsewhere. Since the start of the ceasefire, there had been a sharp increase in Israeli military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp. The Security Council, in its resolution 2334 (2016), had reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, were illegal under international law. East Jerusalem was occupied territory and any attempt to alter its demographic or legal status was unlawful and unacceptable. The same was true for Gaza. The situation in the West Bank must not be allowed to escalate. The occupying Power must be held to account.
56. UNRWA was unmatched in terms of its capacity to provide essential services and life-saving assistance to Palestinians. In addition, it had a crucial role to play in the reconstruction of Gaza. The Knesset laws banning the Agency violated the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024. The Security Council and the international community must renew their efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, which could only be achieved through the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian State along pre‑1967 borders, with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.

Adoption of the programme of work for 2025 (A/AC.183/2025/L.2) 

57. The Secretary, introducing the draft programme of work for 2025 (A/AC.183/2025/L.2), said that section I of the document outlined the mandates of the Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights, as set out in General Assembly resolutions 77/22 and 79/82, respectively. Section II contained an overview of the activities of the Committee and the Division, including the mobilization of the diplomatic community, raising awareness of the question of Palestine, cooperation with intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and United Nations system entities, and the capacity-building programme for staff of the Government of the State of Palestine. Section III dealt with the continuing review and assessment of the programme of work.
58. The Chair took it that the Committee wished to adopt the draft programme of work.
59. It was so decided.

The meeting rose at 4.55 p.m.