Palestinian Camps and the Israeli-American War on UNRWA

The issue of Palestinian camps and the Israeli-American war on UNRWA is considered one of the most dangerous issues in the contemporary Palestinian-Israeli conflict, not only in terms of humanitarian living dimensions, but also in terms of political and strategic exploitation.

Palestinian Camps as Political and National Symbol

Palestinian camps have been since the Nakba of 1948 a symbol of refuge and deprivation, but at the same time they have transformed into a permanent historical witness to the crime of forced displacement that took place against the Palestinian people. Their existence in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan represents a continuous reminder of the right of return, making them a strategic burden on the fabricated Israeli historical narrative that seeks to fold the refugee file permanently.

Targeting UNRWA as a Mechanism to End the Refugee Issue

UNRWA is not just a relief agency, but is the only international entity that legally recognizes the existence of Palestinian refugees and their right to return. Israel and America consider the continuation of UNRWA's work a long-term political and existential threat to the entity, because it undermines their attempts to impose a narrative that "the refugee issue is over."

The Systematic Campaign

For this reason, both are waging a systematic campaign against it for years, which included:

• Reducing funding
• Diplomatic incitement
• Repeated accusations of supporting "terrorism"

Israeli Exploitation of the Camp Issue

In security and political contexts, Israel uses the camps as a justification for military operations under the pretext of "fighting resistance infrastructure." It also exploits overcrowding and poverty conditions to justify its measures to the international community.

But more importantly, comprehensively, is its political investment in the war on UNRWA specifically to redefine Palestinian refugee identity, through political and economic pressure on host countries to integrate refugees into their societies and cancel their legal status as Palestinian refugees.

The Legal and Humanitarian Danger of This Strategy

Weakening or dismantling UNRWA does not only mean depriving millions of Palestinians of education, health, and basic assistance, but is a step within a systematic path to cancel Resolution 194 on the right of return. It is also considered a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which obliges the occupying state to protect civilians in occupied territories, especially in the absence of an effective international alternative to UNRWA.

Conclusion

The Israeli attack on UNRWA and targeting camps is not just a security endeavor, but a political project to liquidate the right of return and dismantle one of the last constants and legal pillars of the Palestinian cause. The required response must be a mixture of national legal fortification, media documentation, active diplomacy and broad popular diplomacy.