Israel carried out the demolition of structures within the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency’s East Jerusalem compound on Tuesday, following the site’s seizure last year. The agency condemned the action as a breach of international law. Israeli forces, along with bulldozers, razed several large buildings and smaller structures within the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) compound. UNRWA, accused by Israel of bias, had ceased operations and vacated the premises as instructed by Israel at the beginning of the previous year.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized Israel’s move, urging an immediate halt to the demolition and the return of the compound and other UNRWA facilities to the United Nations without delay. UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler reported that Israeli forces entered the compound early in the morning, displaced security guards, and brought in the bulldozers. Roland Friedrich, the agency’s West Bank director, stated that demolition crews and police arrived at the East Jerusalem headquarters on Tuesday.
Friedrich mentioned that tear gas was fired at a vocational school for young Palestinians later in the day, affecting more than 300 refugees receiving job training there. Some students were impacted by the gas, with a 15-year-old sustaining an injury from a rubber bullet. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini highlighted a series of Israeli actions against the organization, including a recent raid on a medical clinic and plans to cut off power and water to other facilities in the near future. Lazzarini condemned the demolition, labeling it as a blatant disregard for international law.
Former UNRWA staff members revealed that the demolished structures housed aid supplies for the West Bank and Gaza. Israel’s parliament had passed a law in October 2024 prohibiting UNRWA from operating in the country and banning officials from engaging with the agency, a move criticized by Canada at the time. Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir celebrated the demolition in a video posted on social media.
Accusations of bias have been made by Israel, alleging that some UNRWA staff were Hamas members who participated in an attack in 2023. UNRWA dismissed several staff members but insisted that Israel had not provided concrete evidence for all accusations. Lazzarini denounced Israel’s disinformation campaign against UNRWA in a statement. The Israeli Foreign Ministry defended the compound’s seizure, stating it was done in compliance with both Israeli and international laws.
The Jerusalem municipality had raided the compound due to alleged unpaid property taxes by UNRWA, a claim refuted by the agency. UNRWA operates in East Jerusalem, considered occupied territory by the UN and many nations, while Israel views the entire city as part of its territory. The agency provides essential services in Gaza, the West Bank, and other Middle Eastern regions, catering to millions of Palestinian refugees.