Article 1D of the Refugee Convention and Palestinians from Gaza: the cessation of UNRWA protection and assistance?

This article focuses onquestions around the contemporary interpretation of Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the status of Palestinian refugees Gaza. Despite the political imperative for many Palestinians to remain and the general dearth of opportunities to exercisethe right to leave, some Palestinians in Gaza have sought protection in other states and more are likely to in future. While other refugees globally benefit from the protection provided by the Convention, Palestinian refugees are excluded from its provisions because of the ‘protection and assistance’ provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The article argues that current conditions in Gaza mean that UNRWA protection and assistance should be understood to have ceased, thus giving rise to an automatic right to receive asylum for Palestinians from Gaza when seeking protection in a state party to the 1951 Convention, including EU member states.