UNRWA chief condemns Israeli raid on East Jerusalem headquarters
He characterizes the action as "deliberate defiance of international law."
In remarks shared on a US-based social media platform, the agency chief describes the incident as "A new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, by the State of Israel," in reference to the latest Israeli operation.
He explains that "Early this morning, Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA Headquarters, a United Nations site, in East Jerusalem. Bulldozers entered the compound and began demolishing buildings inside it under the watch of lawmakers & a member of the government."
Calling the incident "an unprecedented attack" on the UN body and its facilities, he stresses that, like all UN member states that support the international rules-based system, "Israel is obliged to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises."
According to his statement, the raid is part of a broader pattern of steps taken by Israeli authorities that target the Palestinian refugee issue. He recalls that on Jan. 12, Israeli forces also entered a UNRWA health facility in East Jerusalem and ordered it shut down. He adds that Israeli officials announce plans to suspend water and electricity supplies to UNRWA buildings, including schools and medical centers, in the coming weeks.
He further says the developments are "a direct result of legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in December, which stepped up existing anti-UNRWA laws adopted in 2024."
He adds that "These actions, together with previous arson attacks and a large-scale disinformation campaign, fly in the face of the ruling in October by the International Court of Justice, which restated that Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate UNRWA's operations, not hinder or prevent them," while emphasizing that Israel "has no jurisdiction over East Jerusalem."
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