Press Releases
(Bethlehem, 9 June 2026)
On 26 May, 90 US congress members called on the Trump administration to “take a broader view of the agency’s [UNRWA’s] operations — not only in Gaza, but across the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.” Reiterating the Israeli regime’s false accusations for its ongoing campaign of demonization and dismantlement of UNRWA, the letter completely contradicts the principles of international law, the agency’s mandate and ultimately, the right of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to reparation (return, property restitution, compensation and guarantees of non-repetition). Blaming UNRWA and host states for the Palestinian refugee predicament, it omits any mention of both ongoing Israeli crimes and Palestinian refugees’ rights. Instead, the letter further cements US participation in the Israeli campaign to dismantle UNRWA, eliminates the Palestinian refugee issue and their rights, and replaces the multinational legal order.
The letter equates the demise of UNRWA in all its areas of operation with “lasting peace in the Middle East” and claims that the instability in the region is due to UNRWA’s failure to resolve the Palestinian “refugee crisis” – not the Israeli regime’s ongoing crimes, nor the full impunity bestowed upon it through states’ inaction and complicity. The main and most significant reason that the Palestinian refugee and IDP population – at 10.15 million – is the largest and most protracted displaced population in the world is due to the Israeli regime’s ongoing forced displacement, colonization and apartheid and complicit states allowing and enabling those crimes. The situation in Palestine is not the escalation of “a finite humanitarian issue,” but a case of ongoing denial of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and return.
The letter blames UNRWA and host states for not seeking “long-term solutions,” ignoring the fact that neither UNRWA nor host states have the mandate or authority to determine or provide such solutions. Durable solutions, especially the right to voluntary return, are owned solely by Palestinian refugees and IDPs – not UNRWA, host states, the Israeli regime, its allies or these 90 congress members. However, the implementation of durable solutions is dependent on the political will of the concerned states, which has been consistently undermined by the Israeli regime and the US.
The letter encourages the replacement of UNRWA by redirecting funding to “host countries or other legitimate non-governmental organizations.” This ‘solution’ is another attempt to shift responsibility from complicit western states and the UN to Arab host countries and other institutions that hold no proper mandate.
The letter also attacks the Palestinian education curriculum, claiming that it plays a role in “radicalizing Palestinian youth,” mimicking allegations made by Zionist-Israeli organizations. Such allegations are designed to erase Palestinian national identity, while reframing it to align with the Israeli regime’s aims: to impose recognition of the colonizers’ “right to self-determination” and deny the colonized Palestinian people their right to self-determination.
Each of these allegations have been used by the Israeli regime to demonize, defund, ban and dismantle UNRWA. The letter’s regurgitation of these unfounded allegations against UNRWA, serves to further clarify the role of the US as partner in the Israeli regime’s denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, particularly the right of return of Palestinian refugees and IDPs.
The call made by 90 congress members is a direct result of the failure of the UN and its member states to take concrete measures to halt Israeli laws, measures and restrictions targeting UNRWA. Further, this letter aligns with the US and Israeli policy of replacing the UN and international law with their own colonial bodies and rules. Congress must reinstate US funding for UNRWA and pass the UNRWA Emergency Funding Restoration Act of 2025.
As the only operational agency mandated to support Palestinian refugees, UNRWA must be preserved, protected and enabled to fulfill its mandate in all its areas of operation. By doing so, states reduce their complicity, fulfill their obligations and pave the way for ensuring the rights of Palestinian refugees and IDPs.