|By Adekunle Adejumo
Israeli authorities on Tuesday moved in with bulldozers to demolish parts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in East Jerusalem, triggering sharp condemnation from the agency, which described the action as an unprecedented assault on United Nations property.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said Israeli forces entered the compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood shortly after 7:00 a.m., ordered security personnel out, and cleared the way for heavy machinery to tear down sections of the facility. He said the operation violated international law and breached the privileges and immunities granted to the United Nations, warning that it sets a dangerous global precedent for the treatment of international organisations.
Images from the scene showed bulldozers flattening structures within the compound, with an Israeli flag hoisted above the site as the demolition progressed.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, was reported to have briefly visited the location during the operation. In comments attributed to him, Ben Gvir hailed the demolition as a “historic day” for Jerusalem, alleging that the site had been used by what he called supporters of terrorism. He also pledged similar action against other locations accused of the same activities.
Israeli authorities have repeatedly accused UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas, claiming that some of its staff were involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. UNRWA has consistently rejected the allegations.
Several investigations, including one led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, identified concerns related to neutrality but concluded that Israel had not provided conclusive evidence to substantiate its most serious claims against the agency.
Defending the demolition, Israel’s foreign ministry said the Jerusalem compound belongs to the Israeli state and does not enjoy diplomatic immunity. The ministry insisted the action was taken under existing Israeli laws concerning UNRWA and Hamas, and not as part of a new policy.
It added that UNRWA vacated the premises in January 2025, after legislation banning the agency’s operations in East Jerusalem took effect following months of disputes over its role in Gaza.
Despite the ban in East Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its annexed territory, UNRWA continues to operate in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Tensions around the compound had intensified in December when UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini accused Israeli authorities of seizing furniture, IT equipment, and other assets from the site, and replacing the UN flag with an Israeli one. UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the time strongly criticised the action, insisting the compound remained inviolable United Nations property.
Both Guterres and Lazzarini were later declared persona non grata by Israel, several months after the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023.
