Millions promised to UNRWA until "right of return"

“Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson led an international ministerial conference of UNRWA donors (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and foreign ministers and representatives of 75 states and organizations… in which $139 million in financial commitments were announced.

Safadi said in his speech at the conference that ‘UNRWA must continue to provide services to the Palestinian refugees until the resolution of their problem in a manner that will include their right to return and to compensation according to the UN resolutions – and particularly [UN] Resolution 194 (see note below –Ed.) – and in the framework of a comprehensive solution to the conflict that will end the occupation that began in 1967 on the basis of the two-state solution.’”

UN Resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."