OIC condemns Israeli decision to close 6 UNRWA schools in Jerusalem
The OIC condemned Israel's decision as an illegal attempt to undermine the UN agency's role in the occupied city, calling it a blatant violation of the UN Charter and Resolution 302 (IV), which established the agency's mandate in December 1949.
In 2024, Israel passed a law that prohibits the operations of UNRWA in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in the demolition or damage of numerous UNRWA schools and health centers.
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities notified six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem's neighborhoods of Shuafat, Silwan, Sur Baher, and Wadi Al-Joz that they will be closed within 30 days.
The OIC said the decision would deprive Palestinian refugee children of their fundamental right to education and seek instead to impose the Israeli curriculum on them.
The OIC urged all states to support UNRWA with political, financial, and legal assistance to continue serving millions of Palestinian refugees and protecting their rights, as outlined in UN Resolution 194, the Wafa news agency reported.
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Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Recognition of Palestine: a strategic recalibration of the global conscience
As the world confronts the moral collapse unfolding in Gaza and the dangerous entrenchment of unilateralism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the international community is beginning to coalesce around a long-delayed imperative: formal recognition of the state of Palestine. What was once considered a diplomatic outlier — recognition of Palestinian statehood outside the framework of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations — is now gaining legitimacy as a necessary corrective to decades of political stagnation and asymmetry. July's international conference on the two-state solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN headquarters in New York, was a critical inflection point in the global approach to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Countries such as France, Malta, Spain, Ireland and even the UK have either formally recognized a Palestinian state or declared their readiness to do so. Such actions are not merely symbolic gestures, they are a collective geopolitical recalibration, an assertion that the Israeli strategy of permanent occupation and settlement expansion is incompatible with international law, regional stability and basic morality. It is no longer tenable to continue placating Israeli defiance by treating Palestinian sovereignty as a negotiable commodity. For years, Western powers, led by the US, have clung to the illusion that statehood must be the end product of bilateral negotiations — a formula that effectively handed Israel the power of veto over the very existence of Palestine. In practice, this posture enabled Israel to construct an irreversible reality on the ground: the annexation of land, building of settlements, and fragmentation of Palestinian society. But a growing number of countries are now rejecting that logic. They understand that Palestinian self-determination is not a gift to be granted, it is a legal and moral right enshrined in the UN Charter and countless international resolutions. Recognition of Palestinian statehood is therefore not a reward to be handed out for good behavior or used as a bargaining chip; it is an act to rectify historical injustice and realign global diplomacy with its own professed principles. The momentum building in Europe is particularly instructive. France, traditionally cautious on the issue, is now at the forefront of this diplomatic shift. Ireland and Spain, longtime advocates for Palestinian rights, have already shifted from rhetoric to action. Malta has followed suit, and the British Parliament has witnessed growing calls for recognition of Palestine, with many MPs now urging the government to match its verbal commitment to a two-state solution with a concrete policy to achieve it. This surge in recognition efforts also carries real strategic weight. It signals a broader divergence from a decades-old transatlantic consensus, dominated by Washington, that has consistently blocked the admission of Palestine to the UN as a full member (it currently has observer status), and shielded Israeli authorities from accountability at the International Criminal Court for their actions. By recognizing the State of Palestine without Israeli consent, these nations are not only challenging an obsolete consensus, they are actively reshaping it. Indeed, the cumulative effect of these recognitions could transform the diplomatic landscape; they help strengthen the Palestinian Authority's claim to full sovereignty, and enable greater Palestinian participation in multilateral institutions. Enhanced status at the UN and other international organizations would empower Palestinians to bring legal claims against Israeli authorities for their actions, including those related to settlement expansion, war crimes and the blockade on Gaza. This would subject Israel's conduct to international scrutiny in ways it has long sought to avoid. By recognizing the State of Palestine without Israeli consent, these nations are not only challenging an obsolete consensus, they are actively reshaping it. Hani Hazaimeh Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all stepped forward to provide aid to Gaza, distinguishing themselves as regional powers committed not only to humanitarian relief but to a recentering of the Palestinian issue in global discourse. This Arab engagement is not peripheral, it is foundational to any long-term regional solution. But the central question remains: Will Israel and the US bow to this evolving international consensus? All the signs suggest they will continue to resist, at least in the short term. The Netanyahu government, propped up by a coalition of ultranationalists and religious extremists, continues to treat Palestinian statehood as an existential threat rather than a diplomatic necessity. Its response to international recognition efforts has been to double down on its own maximalist policies: expansion of settlements, tightening of its grip on East Jerusalem, and now the expansion of its unrelenting military campaign in Gaza that has shocked even its closest allies. The Trump administration, for its part, remains hesitant to act. Washington's reluctance to endorse recognition stems in part from domestic political considerations, and in part from its historical alignment with Israel's security narrative. However, the erosion of America's credibility as an 'honest broker' is accelerating. As more democracies recognize Palestine, the US risks diplomatic isolation on an issue where it once claimed moral leadership. There is, nonetheless, a growing awareness within Washington that the status quo is unsustainable. Younger Americans, progressives and diaspora communities — particularly Arab Americans and those Jewish Americans critical of Israeli policies — are demanding a shift in US policy. The Democratic Party itself is increasingly divided on how to respond to the actions of Israel. These internal pressures, combined with external diplomatic shifts, might eventually compel the US to reevaluate its rigid stance on the issue. Ultimately, recognition of Palestinian statehood is about more than diplomatic titles or UN votes. It is about whether the international community will continue to tolerate a world order in which might trumps right, or it will reclaim the moral clarity that animated the institutions it built in the aftermath of the Second World War. It is about affirming the fact that sovereignty, dignity and self-determination are not rights reserved for the powerful and the privileged, but the inalienable rights of all peoples, Palestinians included. The cascade of recognition of Palestinian statehood is a critical juncture. If it is sustained, the momentum could break the paralysis that has defined Middle East peace efforts for generations. It could force Israel back to the negotiating table with clear parameters grounded in international law. And it could restore a measure of credibility to global diplomacy, which has too often failed the Palestinian people. The recognition of Palestine will not, on its own, end the occupation or resolve all dimensions of the conflict. But it is a necessary first step; a recalibration of the global conscience, a diplomatic counterweight to decades of impunity, and perhaps the last viable path toward a just and durable peace in the Middle East. • Hani Hazaimeh is a senior editor based in Amman. X: @hanihazaimeh
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi FM holds talks with global counterparts on Gaza escalation
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a series of phone calls on Friday with his counterparts in France, Turkey, Germany, Egypt, and with the European Union's foreign policy chief, to discuss the worsening situation in Gaza and its humanitarian and security implications. In a call with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, the discussions focused on developments in Gaza and their broader impact. Prince Faisal also spoke with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, stressing the importance of ending Israeli violations and the use of starvation tactics against Gaza's population. In talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the two sides reviewed efforts to halt the escalation, end Israeli violations, and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of Gaza's residents. During his conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Prince Faisal emphasized the need for greater international efforts to stop the war and end the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. In his call with Egyptian Foreign Minister and Minister of Immigration Badr Abdelatty, the discussion centered on the urgency of halting Israeli attacks and violations and bringing an end to the catastrophic humanitarian situation caused by what the Kingdom described as Israel's 'brutal practices.'
Leaders
4 hours ago
- Leaders
Israel Pledges to Revive Evacuated West Bank Settlement
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has revealed plans to rebuild Sa-Nur, a settlement in the occupied West Bank, amid an ongoing major settlement campaign, according to AFP. Revival of Israeli Settlements As part of Israel's so-called disengagement policy, Sa-Nur's settlers were evacuated in 2005. Over the past two decades, several members of Israeli settler movement have urged return to Sa-Nur and other evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank. Smotrich stated that 'we are correcting the mistake of the expulsion' in 2005 during his visit to to Sa-Nur along with families who argued that they are preparing to live in the area. 'Even back then, we knew that … we would one day return to all the places we were driven out of,' 'That applies to Gaza, and it's even more true here,' said the far-right minister who lives in a settlement. In a response to the visit, the Palestinian Authority strongly condemned the Israeli move and considered it as part of Israel's 'plans to entrench the gradual annexation of the West Bank, posing a direct threat to the possibility of implementing the two-state solution.' Moreover, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry noted that the move 'to revive settlements that were evacuated 20 years ago' would result in further confiscation of Palestinian lands. West Bank Annexation In July, over 70 Israeli lawmakers passed a motion in the Knesset on Wednesday, calling on the government to annex the West Bank amid mounting violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition and some opposition lawmakers have supported this non-binding vote in the Knesset. However, this symbolic move has nothing to do with the Palestinian territory's legal status. Furthermore, fifteen Israeli Cabinet Ministers from Netanyahu's Likud party have recently pushed him to immediately annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The lawmakers have signed a petition requesting the administration 'to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (West Bank) before the end of the Knesset summer session,' which ends on July 27. They also implied that the current moment is appropriate for the annexation thanks to strong US-Israeli relations and the recent military gains. Building Jewish State In May, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel planned to build a 'Jewish Israeli state' in the occupied West Bank, according to Al-Arabiya. Katz's remarks followed Israel's announcement of the creation of 22 new settlements in the West Bank. He also noted that the new settlements would be a clear message to French President Emmanuel Macron and his associates: they will recognize a Palestinian state on paper – but Israel will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground. Related Topics: Palestinians Protest against Settler Outpost at West Bank UN Rights Office Reports Increasing Settler Attacks in Occupied West Bank Saudi Arabia Spearheads Condemnation of Israeli Knesset's Motion to Annex West Bank Short link :
