Israel demolishes buildings in UN Palestinian agency's East Jerusalem compound

JERUSALEM: Israel demolished structures inside the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency’s East Jerusalem compound on Tuesday after seizing the site last year, in an act condemned by the agency as a violation of international law.

Surrounded by Israeli forces, bulldozers razed several large buildings and other smaller structures inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s compound, where dozens of agency staff once worked.

UNRWA, which has been accused of bias by Israel, has not used the building since the start of last year after Israel ordered it to vacate all its premises and cease its operations.

‘UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK’

A spokesperson for UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, told Reuters that Israeli forces entered the compound around 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), forced out the compound’s security guards and then brought in bulldozers to begin demolishing buildings inside.

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini condemned the demolition in a statement on X, calling it “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law.”

He said it was the latest of a series of Israeli actions against UNRWA, including a raid on a medical clinic this month and a plan to cut power and water to UNRWA facilities in the coming weeks.

Some former UNRWA staff said the structures demolished on Tuesday had been used to store aid for the West Bank and Gaza.

“The destruction today by the Israeli occupation is another message to the world that Israel is the only country that can demolish 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 agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with the agency.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media standing in front of the UNRWA compound as a bulldozer began to tear it down.

“This is a historic day, it’s a holiday,” said Ben-Gvir.

ISRAEL ACCUSES UNRWA OF BIAS

Israel has alleged that some UNRWA staff were members of the Palestinian group Hamas and took part in the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to Israel’s war against Hamas, in which Gaza authorities say more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed.

UNRWA has fired several staff members but said Israel had not provided evidence for all the allegations against its staff.

In his statement, Lazzarini said that Israel had conducted “a large-scale disinformation campaign” against UNRWA.

The Israeli foreign ministry said “the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law.”

Israel’s Jerusalem municipality raided the compound last year, saying UNRWA had failed to pay property taxes after multiple warnings. UNRWA said the agency had no debts to the municipality.

The agency operates in East Jerusalem, which the U.N. and most countries consider territory occupied by Israel.

UNRWA also operates in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East, providing schooling, healthcare, social services and shelter to millions of Palestinians.