Philippe Lazarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), stated that there are political motivations behind the efforts of some countries to dissolve the agency, which could undermine the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In a statement to the Russian news agency "TASS," published on Sunday, Lazarini called on UN member states to recognize that this pressure must be addressed, as the true aim of dissolving the agency is politically motivated and could ultimately undermine future efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
He noted that over 80% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip believe that a two-state solution would be impossible if UNRWA were dissolved. Lazarini added, "The main objective is to deprive Palestinians of their refugee status, which was clearly affirmed by the Israeli representative at the UN Security Council last week. He stated that UNRWA prolongs the refugee issue, but the real issue is the lack of a political solution, which keeps people in a refugee status for a longer period."
Lazarini mentioned that he is not aware of Israel making an official request to the UN regarding the dissolution of UNRWA, but he is aware of calls from the Israeli government for this step and discussions around alternatives to the agency.
He emphasized that UNRWA cannot currently be replaced by another body, as "there is no other organization that can assume our role and provide access to healthcare or education as we do," adding that this can only be carried out by a government or administration with full rights. He stressed that "the only entity that can assume those functions is a future State of Palestine when we find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue."
