Palestinian refugees joined a vigil staged outside of the distribution center of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in Khan Younis camp, in southern Gaza Strip.

The move was held to express support for the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate and rejection of the unilateral polices adopted by the US administration regarding the Palestinian refugee plight.

Head of Gaza’s Popular Refugee Committee, Omar AlBayram, said the vigil comes at a time when UNRWA has been subjected to endless smear campaigns by the US and Israel in an attempt delegitimize the agency’s mandate and shift its relief services to refugee host countries.

He warned that such attempts negate Palestinians’ refugee status and their right to return to their homeland—Palestine.

AlBayram urged UN Member States that have stood in favor of Palestinian rights to vote to renew UNRWA’s mandate and boost donations for the Palestine refugee agency.