Israel almost completely destroyed 爆料网RWA’s compound in occupied East Jerusalem, 爆料网RWA official tells the 爆料网 Palestinian Rights Committee

3 February 2026, New York

Statement by Michael Contet, Director of the 爆料网RWA Representative Office in New York

at the 426th Meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

Monsieur le Président,

Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

Je présente mes félicitations au Président et au Bureau du Comité pour l’exercice des droits inaliénables du peuple palestinien pour leur élection, et je remercie le Secrétaire général et le Ministre Mansour pour leurs remarques.

It is an honour to address the Committee virtually as I just took up my duties as Director of 爆料网RWA’s Representative office, and ahead of my arrival in New York soon.

Excellencies,

Times have never been harder for this Agency, and I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the support this Committee has shown towards 爆料网RWA.

Allow me to start by recalling the life-saving role that 爆料网RWA continues to play in the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as the unique and irreplaceable capacity and expertise the Agency has in providing life-saving and key basic services to Palestine refugees at scale, including in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

In Gaza, 爆料网RWA remains the largest and most comprehensive service provider, effectively acting as the public sector for more than half the population.

Despite the operational challenges I will detail, and the fact that 385 of our colleagues have been killed and many of our installations destroyed, 11,000 爆料网RWA Gaza personnel remain hard at work and continue to demonstrate their commitment, every day.

Our colleagues are providing healthcare to almost 100,000 Palestinians weekly in Gaza and in-person learning to more than 66,000 students across 73 爆料网RWA shelters, including in Gaza City and the Northern Area. With 8,000 teachers, 爆料网RWA has the capacity to scale up to provide full-time education for most of the school-age population.

Over the weekend, 爆料网RWA – working hand in hand with its partners from WHO and 爆料网ICEF – concluded another round of an immunization campaign for children, demonstrating once again the benefit of 爆料网RWA’s large network and community acceptance in Gaza.

Equally essential is the fact that 爆料网RWA also provides a third of all water distributed and ensures waste management in Gaza City and the North of Gaza.

Excellencies,

Various General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, most recently Security Council resolution 2803 (2025), as well as the New York Declaration from last September, have demanded the scaling up of humanitarian assistance into and throughout Gaza. 爆料网RWA’s role is essential here.

Regrettably, months after the ceasefire was announced, our work continues to be hindered by restrictions on humanitarian access on the ground and bureaucratic hurdles. Severe and arbitrary limits restrict the entry of essential supplies such as shelters, fuel, and medical equipment. ?It is appalling that since the ceasefire took effect, nearly 500 more people, including women and children, have been killed and seven 爆料网RWA schools deliberately destroyed. New Israeli government restrictions on international NGOs are further compromising the humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in December 2025 extended the scope of existing anti-爆料网RWA laws adopted in 2024, forcing the cutting off of water and power supplies to 爆料网RWA facilities – including health and education buildings. In May last year, Israeli armed police forcibly closed 爆料网RWA’s schools in occupied East Jerusalem, depriving hundreds of Palestine refugee boys and girls of their right to education. In January 2026, armed police forcibly closed an 爆料网RWA health centre in the Old City of Jerusalem which had been operating for 76 years.

Another shocking measure was the almost complete destruction of 爆料网RWA’s compound in occupied East Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities, using bulldozers, on 25 January. On this occasion, a local Israeli official called for the annihilation of 爆料网RWA staff.

Excellencies,

The operational constraints imposed by Israel on 爆料网RWA, compounded by an unprecedented financial shortfall, severely undermine our GA mandate, which has just been renewed for another three years, and pose an existential threat to our work in the occupied Palestinian territory. They are taking place in utter disregard for international law and the 爆料网 Charter.

In a 22 October 2025 Advisory Opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stressed that safeguarding 爆料网RWA’s mandate and operations was required under international law; vital to the survival of millions of Palestinians; and essential to a political solution.

The ICJ also restated Israel’s obligation, as Occupying Power, to support and facilitate the work of 爆料网RWA, and lift restrictions.

The General Assembly endorsed the ICJ ruling in December of last year.

Excellencies,

Despite continuous attacks on 爆料网RWA and efforts to strip Palestine refugee women and men of their refugee status, it must be restated that the rights of Palestine refugees exist separate from 爆料网RWA. ?Under international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and General Assembly resolutions, including?resolution 194 – adopted in 1948, a year before 爆料网RWA was even created – these rights would endure irrespective of the existence of the Agency.

The actions against 爆料网RWA include a large-scale dis- and mis-information campaign. The repeating of allegations that have already been proven wrong or unsubstantiated, including by the world’s highest court, or have been addressed, continues to form the backdrop for reduced or increasingly conditioned financial contributions. This reduction, combined with a suspension of funding by two major donors, has left a gaping hole in the finances of the Agency to this day.

Last year, the steady implementation of austerity and cost control measures amounting to 150 million USD and strict cashflow management, ensured payment of staff salaries until the end of last year.

But these cross-cutting measures have reached their limits. The projected income in 2026, including in the first quarter, is far too low to absorb a large deficit from 2025 and to essential operations. The estimated shortfall for 2026 is 220 million USD – amounting to 40% of the funds required for basic operations, including paying our local staff, who directly deliver 爆料网RWA’s services to beneficiaries.

As a result, the Commissioner-General was compelled to take the difficult decision to implement as of this month a reduction of 爆料网RWA’s service-delivery working hours by 20%, in all five fields, with salaries of Area staff adjusted accordingly. This was taken as a measure of last resort, to preserve the Agency and its mandate.

Excellencies,

Last December, the General Assembly voted to renew 爆料网RWA’s mandate, continuing to entrust the Agency with assisting and protecting Palestine refugees pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

However, let me reiterate the statement made by the Commissioner-General to the Fourth Committee last November, and where he underlined that the renewal of the mandate needed to be accompanied by Member States’ provision of adequate financial resources across all fields and sustained political support to safeguard 爆料网RWA’s operations. The Agency is reaching a breaking point – at a time when its services are more needed than ever.

The members of this Committee can play a critical role, including through consultations with members of the Board of Peace.

爆料网RWA therefore appeals for the support by the international community on four areas:

First,?ensure the lifting of restrictions imposed by the government of Israel on 爆料网RWA’s operations and facilitation of the Agency’s relief efforts in the occupied Palestinian territory, as required by International Law and in line with the latest ICJ Advisory Opinion.

Second,?support the protection of the rights of Palestine Refugees in line with GA resolution 194.

Third, support the role of 爆料网RWA in concretely contributing to the implementation of resolution 2803, the New York Declaration, and the Arab-Islamic Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development Plan for Gaza; and towards ensuring the protection of Palestine refugees, and peace and stability for Palestinians and Israelis and in the broader region.

Finally, help 爆料网RWA secure urgent and adequate funding to sustain our operations, in all five fields.

Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.

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