Israeli bulldozers have begun demolishing parts of the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in occupied east Jerusalem. The operation took place in the Sheikh Jarrah area, where an Israeli flag was seen flying over the compound.
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said Israeli forces entered the compound shortly after 7 a.m., removed security guards and then allowed bulldozers to move in and start tearing down buildings. He called it an unprecedented attack on the agency and a serious breach of international law and UN privileges and immunities.
Fowler warned that what is happening to UNRWA today could happen to any other international organisation or diplomatic mission if such actions go unchallenged. Photos from the scene showed heavy machinery at work and extensive damage inside the compound.
Israel’s far right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir briefly visited the site and praised the demolition. He described UNRWA as supporters of terrorism and said everything they had built there was now being removed, vowing the same fate for any other perceived backers of terrorism.
Israeli authorities have repeatedly accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas and alleged that some staff took part in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Independent reviews, including one led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, reported some neutrality issues but said Israel had not given conclusive proof for its main claims.
In a statement, Israel’s foreign ministry said the state owns the Jerusalem compound and that the move simply enforces existing legislation targeting what it called UNRWA Hamas. It argued that the site no longer had UN staff or activities and therefore did not enjoy immunity under international law.
UNRWA’s east Jerusalem office has been empty since January 2025, when a law banning its operations in the city took effect after a long political dispute over its role in Gaza. The agency still runs programmes in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In December, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the earlier seizure of assets from the same compound, saying authorities removed furniture, IT equipment and other property while replacing the UN flag with an Israeli one. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also denounced that entry as unauthorised and insisted the site remained inviolable UN premises.
Since the Gaza war escalated, Israeli authorities have declared both Guterres and Lazzarini persona non grata. The latest demolitions further deepen tensions between Israel and the United Nations over UNRWA’s future role in Palestinian territories.
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