Contrary to what Israel and the administration of US President Donald Trump had hoped, the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to renew the mandate of UNRWA.
On Friday evening, the United Nations passed seven resolutions in favor of the State of Palestine during the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly.
Most notably, the mandate of UNRWA operations was renewed until 2023, with 170 countries voting in favor, two against the United States and Israel, and seven abstaining.
The parliament said in a statement on Saturday that it welcomed the historic vote to renew the mandate of UNRWA.
The vote confirmed the international community's commitment to the legitimate rights of Palestinian refugees in accordance with international law. He also considered it a decisive response to the attempts of some States to terminate UNRWA's work.
The parliament stressed its support for the UN agency in delivering its lofty mission and carrying out its humanitarian activities and services for millions of Palestinian refugees until their suffering is resolved and they can return to their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
For its part, welcomed the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) today the vote of the United Nations overwhelming majority to renew the mandate of UNRWA.
The movement considered that this overwhelming vote emphasizes the justice of the Palestinian cause in general, and the issue of refugees in particular.
She said that "the decision is a strong blow to all Zionist-American efforts over the years to cancel the file of refugees, through desperate attempts to demolish the Agency and discredit the reputation, and reflects the isolation of the occupying power at the international level despite all the support it receives from the current US administration."
Hamas stressed that this vote should be reflected in the political and material support required by the international community for UNRWA to continue to play its role in serving and protecting the Palestinian refugees everywhere.
Other resolutions
Other UN resolutions relate to assistance to Palestinian refugees and the proceeds of their property, as well as to a resolution on Palestinian IDPs following the June 1967 setback.
The work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices and their Impact on the Rights of the Palestinian People was also voted on.
UNRWA was established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1949 to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees in its five areas of operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
But it faces a major crisis following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on August 31, 2018, to suspend US funding to the organization, which amounted to $ 368 million in 2016, accounting for about 30% of its operations in the region.