Israeli authorities on Tuesday began bulldozing the East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), marking a sharp escalation in Israel’s long-running campaign against the agency responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinians across the region.
The demolition, carried out under police escort, is the most dramatic move yet following Israel’s decision last year to ban UNRWA from operating in areas it defines as its sovereign territory, including East Jerusalem. Israel has repeatedly accused the agency of collaborating with Hamas, allegations the United Nations has consistently denied.
Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s director in the West Bank, said demolition crews and Israeli police arrived at the compound early Tuesday morning. Although staff had not been operating from the facility for nearly a year due to safety concerns and incitement, Israeli forces confiscated equipment and removed private security personnel guarding the site.
“What we saw today is the culmination of two years of incitement and measures taken against UNRWA in East Jerusalem,” Friedrich said, describing the demolition as a violation of international law, which grants U.N. facilities protected status.
UNRWA provides education, healthcare, and humanitarian services to roughly 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as another 3 million refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. For decades, the agency has operated schools, health centers, and vocational facilities across refugee camps.
The agency warned that the demolition of its Jerusalem headquarters could jeopardize operations at its vocational training center in Qalandia and a health clinic in the Shua’fat refugee camp, where services are still being delivered.
An Israeli flag was raised above the compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood as several Israeli politicians arrived to mark the event. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the demolition as “a historic day.”
Israeli officials argue that UNRWA perpetuates Palestinian refugee status and accuse it of harboring political bias and militant sympathies. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war more than two years ago, Israel has intensified its criticism, alleging that Hamas operatives infiltrated the agency and misused its facilities. The United Nations has rejected these claims, and the International Court of Justice ruled in October that Israel must allow UNRWA to continue providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Since Israel’s parliament passed legislation cutting ties with UNRWA last year, the agency’s facilities have faced repeated raids, closures, and vandalism, leaving many sites unprotected. Supporters of UNRWA argue that the campaign against the agency is part of a broader effort to sideline the Palestinian refugee issue, one of the most contentious elements of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“This is part of a wider attempt to erase the Palestine refugee identity,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. “What happens to UNRWA today could happen tomorrow to any other international organization or diplomatic mission.”
The agency has also faced shifting international support. The United States cut funding to UNRWA in 2018 under former President Donald Trump, restored it in 2021 under President Joe Biden, and later paused contributions again in 2024.
Israel’s actions against UNRWA align with broader restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. New laws require aid groups to comply with strict regulations, including disclosing staff details and avoiding activities Israel deems as “delegitimizing.” Several international organizations have warned that these measures threaten humanitarian operations for civilians already facing severe hardship.
As bulldozers reduce UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters to rubble, aid groups and human rights organizations fear the move signals a deepening clampdown on international humanitarian presence in the occupied territories with far-reaching consequences for millions who rely on that assistance.
Naomi Jeremiah
Source: The Associated Press