Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the demolition of UNRWA buildings in occupied Jerusalem
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's strong condemnation of the Israeli occupation forces' demolition of buildings belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. The Ministry considered this action a blatant attack on UN agencies and a further violation of international law, adding to Israel's ongoing record of violations.
Details of the Saudi position
In its official statement, the Kingdom reiterated its categorical rejection of these practices, which violate all international and humanitarian norms and laws. It held the international community fully responsible for confronting this Israeli approach, which aims to undermine the work of international relief organizations. The Ministry affirmed the Kingdom's unwavering support for UNRWA in fulfilling its noble humanitarian mission to aid the Palestinian people, and called for the urgent protection of relief organizations, their staff, and their facilities from the repeated attacks that impede the delivery of aid to those in need.
Context of the systematic escalation against UNRWA
This incident is not isolated but part of a broader pattern of systematic pressure exerted by the occupying authorities against the UN agency. The recent period has witnessed an unprecedented Israeli escalation, manifested in legislative moves within the Israeli Knesset aimed at banning UNRWA's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories and designating it as a hostile organization—a move that has been met with widespread international condemnation. The demolition of buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood is a practical manifestation of these policies, which aim to eliminate the agency that has been providing education, health, and relief services to millions of Palestinian refugees since its establishment in 1949.
The symbolic and strategic importance of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood
This incident is doubly dangerous given its location in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, a constant flashpoint and a target of settlement expansion aimed at altering the demographic character of occupied Jerusalem and displacing its original inhabitants. Targeting UN facilities in this vital neighborhood is not merely an act of property destruction, but a politically motivated attempt to silence the UN's living witness to the refugee issue and the right of return.
Saudi Arabia's historical role
This firm Saudi stance stems from the Kingdom's historical and leading role in supporting the Palestinian cause. Saudi Arabia has been one of the largest donors and supporters of UNRWA, both politically and financially, for decades. Riyadh views attempts to dismantle the agency or obstruct its field operations as a direct attack on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and an attempt to preempt final status negotiations, thus threatening regional security and stability and exacerbating the catastrophic humanitarian suffering in the occupied territories.
