DaysofPal- Israeli forces stormed the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem on Monday morning, in a move Palestinian officials and rights groups warned could mark a dangerous escalation against international organizations in the city.
According to UNRWA, Israeli forces entered the compound without authorization, confiscated the phones of security guards, and took additional equipment from inside the office.
Jerusalem-based sources reported that four guards were handed summonses for interrogation, deepening fears among Palestinian officials that Israel may be preparing to permanently seize the building.
The raid follows weeks of increasingly hostile rhetoric from Israeli officials, who have threatened to impose “harsh measures” on the UN agency, alongside repeated settler demonstrations outside the premises under heavy police protection.
Palestinian leaders warned that Monday’s operation constitutes a direct assault on the immunity of UN institutions and a blatant violation of international law.
UNRWA condemned the incursion as an “unacceptable violation” of its privileges as a UN body, recalling that Israeli occupation is a signatory to the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which guarantees the inviolability of UN premises and prohibits the search or confiscation of UN property.
The Jerusalem Governorate described the raid as a “flagrant breach of international law” and urged the international community to take immediate action to hold Israel accountable.
It accused the Israeli occupation of working systematically to undermine the presence of international organizations in Jerusalem and warned that escalating pressure on UNRWA threatens to destabilize an already volatile situation.
Refugee-rights organization al-Hay’a 302 said the operation reflects a broader Israeli strategy aimed at weakening UNRWA’s legal and humanitarian mandate in Jerusalem, noting that it follows recent legislative amendments allowing authorities to cut off water and electricity to UNRWA facilities and expanding state powers to seize agency properties.
The raid comes as the 114th session of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs in Arab Host Countries meets in Cairo to address UNRWA’s worsening financial crisis, the ongoing war in Gaza, and intensified settlement expansion.
The incident also took place just days after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly, 151 states in favor, to renew UNRWA’s mandate for another three years, a decision widely viewed as thwarting Israeli efforts to dismantle the agency. Analysts say the raid aligns with a broader Israeli campaign targeting UNRWA since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. The Israeli occupation has repeatedly advanced allegations aimed at restricting the agency’s operations, drawing widespread international criticism amid warnings of severe humanitarian consequences.
Established in 1949, UNRWA provides essential aid to more than five million Palestinian refugees, relying on voluntary contributions to sustain its programs across the region.
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