Web Desk (MNN); Israeli forces raided the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, seizing property and replacing the UN flag with Israel’s flag.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Israeli police, along with municipal officials, forcibly entered the Sheikh Jarrah compound early in the morning. Trucks, forklifts, and police motorcycles were used, communications were cut, and furniture, IT equipment, and other property were seized.
The building has not been in use since the start of the year after Israeli authorities ordered UNRWA to vacate its premises in Israel. Lazzarini condemned the raid, calling it a violation of international law and a “blatant disregard” for Israel’s obligations as a UN member state.
The raid follows months of harassment, including arson attacks in 2024, intimidation campaigns, anti-UNRWA legislation by Israel’s parliament, and disinformation efforts. Israel barred UNRWA operations claiming some employees were involved in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which UNRWA denied. The International Court of Justice also found Israel’s allegations unsubstantiated.
The attack comes as UNRWA faces severe operational restrictions, having repatriated international staff from Gaza and the West Bank, limiting aid distribution amid extreme shortages caused by Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. According to Gaza health officials, Israeli attacks have killed at least 70,365 people and injured 171,058 others.
UNRWA remains the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza and the West Bank, providing education, healthcare, social services, and shelter to millions of Palestinian refugees. Its existence is closely tied to Palestinians’ internationally recognized right of return to homes from which they were displaced in 1948.
