Israel demolished structures inside the UN Palestinian refugee agency’s East Jerusalem compound on Tuesday after seizing the site last year, in an act condemned by the agency as a violation of international law.
Surrounded by Israeli forces, bulldozers razed several large buildings and other smaller structures inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) compound, where dozens of agency staff once worked.
UNRWA, which has been accused of bias by Israel, has not used the building since the start of last year after Israel ordered it to vacate all its premises and cease its operations.
‘Unprecedented attack’
A spokesperson for UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, said that Israeli forces entered the compound around 7am local time, forced out the compound’s security guards and then brought in bulldozers to begin demolishing buildings inside.
“This is an unprecedented attack against UNRWA and its premises and it also constitutes a serious violation of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” Fowler said.
Some former UNRWA staff said the structures that were demolished on Tuesday had been used to store aid for the West Bank and Gaza.
A sign warning entry is prohibited hangs on the fence of UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters as Israeli forces dismantle the site on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Israel’s parliament passed a law in October 2024 banning the agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with the agency.