The Arab League has called for political and financial support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warning that continued Israeli attacks and aid restrictions are worsening conditions in Gaza and disrupting education.
Assistant secretary-general Fa’ed Mustafa accused Israel of carrying out genocide in the Palestinian territory and said Israeli forces continued to attack Gaza despite a ceasefire, causing further casualties.
Speaking at a meeting of Arab League and UNRWA education officials in Cairo, Mustafa said restrictions remained on humanitarian aid and materials needed for reconstruction.
He praised UNRWA for resuming education services for more than 250,000 students in Gaza as of September 2026 and providing remote learning for others unable to attend in person.
More than 90 percent of school and university buildings in Gaza had been destroyed by Israeli forces, Mustafa said. Many schools were being used as shelters for displaced people, he added, saying the conflict had disrupted education for more than three years and killed thousands of students and education workers.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli incursions, settlement expansion and demolitions had also disrupted education, he said.
Mustafa called for an action plan to protect Palestinian children’s access to education and urged governments and organisations to provide political and financial backing for UNRWA across its five fields of operation.
He said the agency was indispensable to Gaza’s reconstruction and should continue its work until a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is reached.
The meeting at Arab League headquarters runs from November 15 to 18.
