PLO Executive Committee rejects Israeli plan to displace Palestinians and calls for its foiling
RAMALLAH: The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) held a meeting on Thursday, chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting began with a moment of silence for the martyrs of the Palestinian people who have fallen victims to the ongoing Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinian people.
The committee condemned the continuous Israeli war of genocide, particularly in northern Gaza, as part of the so-called “Generals’ Plan,” aimed at displacing the population in the region and implementing policies of killing and extermination to further entrench occupation and colonization.
It reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the unity of all Palestinian territories within the framework of the State of Palestine, encompassing Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The committee rejected any discussions about the so-called “day-after,” asserting that it would only be a Palestinian day under the responsibility of the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people
and its National Authority.
The committee deemed Israeli laws targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a direct insult to the international community and a blatant violation of international laws and agreements.
It criticized the recent decision by the so-called Israeli Land Authority to seize UNRWA’s headquarters in occupied Jerusalem, viewing it as an attack on the UN Charter and a challenge to relevant General Assembly resolutions concerning the protection of international organizations.
It reaffirmed that UNRWA is one of the most important international organizations under the UN, integral to the multilateral system, and called on the UN to take necessary actions to ensure Israel respects UNRWA’s facilities and its mandate.
The committee labeled the Israeli Land Authority’s decision to seize land housing UNRWA’s headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, turning it into a settlement outpost, as legally void and contrary to the International Court of Justice’s advisory
opinion, which stated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
Furthermore, the committee highlighted that UNRWA has been operating in East Jerusalem since 1950 under international mandate, prior to Israel’s occupation of the territories in 1967, emphasizing that Israel, as an occupying power, must respect UNRWA’s facilities and mandate in Jerusalem.
The committee called on the international community to politically and financially support UNRWA to challenge these Israeli actions, urging immediate intervention to prevent such destructive steps targeting one of the UN’s humanitarian agencies since its establishment, thus preserving the prospects for just peace and maintaining the integrity of the global legal and political systems.
In conclusion, the PLO Executive Committee approved a plan of action to confront and respond to the Israeli measures against UNRWA, addressing the obstacles faced by its Commissioner-General, staff, and its educational, health
, and relief institutions.
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA