The UN condemns Israel’s ‘unprecedented’ demolition of a Palestinian aid agency building in East Jerusalem.
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Israel demolished buildings inside a UN refugee agency center in East Jerusalem on Tuesday after seizing the site last year, a move the agency condemned as a violation of international law.
Surrounded by Israeli forces, bulldozers destroyed large buildings and other small buildings inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency compound, where dozens of agency workers once worked.
UNRWA, which Israel accuses of bias, has not used the building since early last year, after Israel ordered it to vacate all of its sites and suspend its operations.
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler told Reuters that Israeli forces entered the camp at around 07:00 local time, forced security guards and brought in bulldozers to begin demolishing the buildings inside.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini condemned the demolitions in a statement to X, calling it “a new level of blatant and deliberate disregard for international law.”
He said it was the latest in a series of Israeli actions against UNRWA, including a raid on a medical clinic this month and plans to cut off electricity and water to UNRWA facilities in the coming weeks.
Some former UNRWA workers said the buildings demolished on Tuesday were used to store aid for the West Bank and Gaza.
“The destruction of the land of Israel today is another message to the world that Israel is the only country that can break international law and get away with it,” said Hakam Shahwan, former chief of staff at UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters.
Israel’s parliament passed a law in October 2024 banning the organization from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from contacting the organization. Canada criticized the move at the time as setting a “dangerous precedent.”
On Tuesday, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media of him standing in front of the UNRWA building as a bulldozer began to demolish it.
“This is a historic day, a holiday,” said Ben-Gvir.
Accusations of bias
Israel has alleged that some UNRWA workers were members of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and participated in an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli figures, and led to a war between Israel and Hamas, which Gazan authorities say has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians.
Israel has officially notified the UN that it is withdrawing from the agreement that has governed its relationship with the main UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, since 1967.
UNRWA has dismissed many staff but said Israel has not provided proof of all the allegations against its staff.
In his statement, Lazzarini said Israel had carried out a “large-scale massacre” against UNRWA.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said “the seizure of this computer by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with Israeli and international law.”
Israel’s Jerusalem municipality raided the compound last year, saying UNRWA failed to pay property taxes after several warnings. UNRWA said that the organization has no debts to the municipality.
The agency works in East Jerusalem, which the UN and many countries consider Israeli occupation. Israel considers all of Jerusalem as part of the country.
UNRWA also works in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East, providing schooling, health care, social services and shelter to millions of Palestinians.
