Tunisia Tells UN: Scrapping UNRWA Would Erase Palestinian Return Rights
Speaking before the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Nafti declared Tunisia's opposition to unilateral Israeli actions in Jerusalem — citing forced displacement, home demolitions, and strikes on Muslim and Christian holy sites as key concerns.
The minister further denounced the continued growth of Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank, describing events in Gaza as "acts of genocide," and pressed the international community to confront what he termed the "historic injustice" endured by the Palestinian people.
"Any attempt to dismantle UNRWA or undermine its mandate is a desperate attempt to extinguish the right of return and liquidate the Palestinian cause," Nafti said.
His remarks come after Israel's parliament pushed through legislation in late 2024 curbing UNRWA's operations. The agency was later ordered to abandon its East Jerusalem headquarters, with Israeli forces subsequently raiding and shuttering additional UNRWA facilities in the city.
Nafti also condemned Israeli strikes on Syrian soil, voicing Tunisia's hope that Syria can safeguard its national unity and sovereignty across its full territory.
On Irregular Migration
Shifting focus to migration policy, the top diplomat called for a "comprehensive and balanced" framework — one that acknowledges the human and historical roots of irregular migration rather than treating it purely as a security threat.
Such a strategy, he argued, must tackle the underlying drivers: conflict, poverty, economic and social disparity, unemployment, lack of development, and human trafficking.
Nafti noted that Tunisia continues to carry out rescue operations for irregular migrants on both land and sea, offering care and coordinating voluntary repatriations alongside the International Organization for Migration, all while upholding migrants' dignity and legal rights.
He closed by reiterating Tunisia's firm stance against serving as either a transit route or a settlement destination for irregular migrants.
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