By Ibrahim Khazen
RIYADH (AA) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met in Riyadh on Wednesday with Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), to discuss avenues of cooperation.
Talks between the two sides dwelt on bilateral cooperation and regional developments and efforts exerted in this regard, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, without providing any details.
The meeting came amid growing Israeli pressure on UNRWA since Oct. 7, 2023, amid Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
In October 2024, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed a law that effectively bans UNRWA's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The law is set to take effect at the end of January 2025, three months after the vote.
Israel claims that some UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, an accusation vehemently denied by the UN agency. The UN has reaffirmed its commitment to neutrality, while Palestinians believe Israel aims to dismantle the agency and eliminate the refugee issue.
Founded in 1949, UNRWA provides assistance to Palestinian refugees who were displaced during the creation of Israel. Currently, the agency operates in five key regions: Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, serving nearly 5.9 million Palestinian refugees, according to its official data.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on the enclave that has killed almost 46,000, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul