The Palestinian Foundation for Human Rights (Shahed) has sent an official
memorandum to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), calling for the immediate reversal of
the recent decisions to dismiss or suspend a number of the Agency's employees,
considering that these measures "lack legal bases and contradict the
principles of international justice and the advisory opinion of the
International Court of Justice."
In its note, Shahed expressed its grave concern that UNRWA
continues to make administrative decisions against its staff based on
unsubstantiated Israeli allegations, without adopting a professional and
independent investigative mechanism, considering that this approach represents
a violation of the principle of the presumption of innocence stipulated in
international law and a violation of the United Nations Administrative
Regulations that guarantee the job protection of its staff.
The advisory opinion issued by the International Court of
Justice on 22 October 2025 clearly stressed that "there is no evidence of
bias or deviation from the humanitarian mandate of UNRWA or its staff",
making the continued application of dismissal decisions without legal review a
violation of the essence of that UN judicial opinion and undermines the
Agency's impartiality and independence.
Shahed stressed that defending the rights of UNRWA staff is
an integral part of protecting the Agency's mandate itself, stressing that any
unjustified infringement of its staff would weaken its humanitarian work in
light of the catastrophic conditions of Palestine refugees, particularly in the
Gaza Strip
Shahid called on the UNRWA Commissioner-General to take
urgent corrective measures, including:
1️⃣ Reversal of dismissal or suspension decisions that are
not based on proven legal evidence.
2️⃣ Forming an independent and impartial investigative
committee with the participation of competent human rights institutions.
3️⃣ Ensure that employees are protected from external
political and media pressures.
4️⃣ Reaffirm the independence and impartiality of UNRWA
based on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Palestinian Organization for Human Rights (WATCH)