Amman, Dec. 12 (Petra)-- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs, Ayman Safadi, received a phone call, on Friday, from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, during which both sides reaffirmed the solid and ongoing cooperation between Jordan and the United Nations and its agencies.

Safadi and Guterres underscored the urgent need for regional and international efforts to support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and to ensure it receives the resources necessary to continue delivering vital services to Palestinian refugees.

The two officials highlighted the critical humanitarian role UNRWA is playing in Gaza, which continues to face a devastating humanitarian catastrophe caused by the destruction resulting from the Israeli aggression and Israel’s ongoing restrictions on the entry of adequate humanitarian aid. They condemned the unlawful constraints imposed on UN agencies, especially UNRWA.

Safadi and the Secretary-General affirmed that UNRWA is indispensable and rejected all attempts to undermine or target the agency. They also stressed the importance of the UN General Assembly’s recent decision to renew UNRWA’s mandate for an additional three years.

Safadi further welcomed the General Assembly’s adoption today of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s obligations in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations and other international organizations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The opinion stated that Israel, as the occupying power, must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law and must approve and facilitate humanitarian and relief programs for the population including assistance provided by the UN, its agencies, and particularly UNRWA without obstructing their delivery.

Earlier in the day, Safadi and the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli forces’ storming of UNRWA’s headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. They described the incident as a flagrant violation of international law and the sanctity of UN facilities, calling it an unacceptable escalation.

Jordan had also organized a ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly to mobilize support for UNRWA.

//Petra// MF