Israeli forces demolished the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, an act the UN condemns as an unprecedented violation of international law. Bulldozers, flanked by police and military, razed several buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah compound where dozens of agency staff once worked. The operation began in the early morning when Israeli forces entered the premises, forced out private security guards, and commenced demolition. The site, which had been largely vacant since an Israeli law banned UNRWA operations last year, previously stored aid for the West Bank and Gaza.
The demolition was met with swift and forceful condemnation from top United Nations officials. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the action "in the strongest terms," asserting that UN premises are "inviolable and immune from any form of interference". Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, described it as "a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the immunities and privileges of the United Nations". He warned that this attack sets a dangerous precedent for all international organizations working globally.
This demolition is the most dramatic step in a sustained Israeli campaign against the refugee agency. Earlier this month, Israeli forces shuttered an UNRWA health clinic in East Jerusalem. Furthermore, utility companies have been ordered to cut off power and water to other UNRWA facilities in the coming weeks. These actions are enabled by legislation passed by Israel's Knesset, which not only banned the agency but also stripped its diplomatic immunities. Critics describe this as part of a two-year campaign of incitement and measures aimed at erasing the Palestinian refugee identity.
Israeli authorities justified the demolition, stating the compound "does not enjoy any immunity" and calling UNRWA a "greenhouse for terrorism". The government cites allegations of infiltration by Hamas, though a UN investigation found Israel has not provided conclusive evidence for its broadest claims. Meanwhile, UNRWA continues its critical work for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank under extreme duress. The agency reports that over 380 of its staff have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began, and it faces a severe funding crisis exacerbated by these allegations.