UN Condemns Israeli Raid That Shuttered Last Remaining Unrwa Facility in East Jerusalem

The United Nations has sharply criticized Israel after security forces stormed and shut down Unrwa's Qalandia Training Centre, the final facility operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in occupied East Jerusalem. The raid took place on Tuesday, with staff ordered out of the compound.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed serious alarm over the operation. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stressed that international law guarantees the protection of UN premises from any interference, warning that the closure would strip young Palestinians of vital vocational education.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the operation, bringing along a television crew from the pro-government Channel 14 and posting footage of himself seated in the institute director's chair. "Thank God, on my shift there is no Unrwa, there is no management, they will not be here," he declared in the video.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he had personally ordered the evacuation of the compound, which sits between the Qalandia neighborhood and Kfar Aqab. He accused the agency of involvement in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, allegations that Unrwa firmly rejects. According to Israeli intelligence, at least 19 agency staff participated in the attack, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. A UN inquiry found evidence suggesting possible involvement by nine employees, whose contracts were ended, while determining the remaining claims were unsupported or lacked sufficient proof. Israel has further asserted that a tenth of Unrwa's Gaza workforce had ties to armed groups—claims the agency says have never been backed by shared evidence.

Established in 1952, the centre trained around 340 Palestinians annually in trades such as carpentry, plumbing and car mechanics. Though geographically within East Jerusalem, its position behind Israel's separation barrier made it reachable for students from refugee camps throughout the West Bank. Israeli officials say equipment is being taken off site, with plans to convert part of the property into a school. In a statement, Unrwa denounced what it called an unauthorized and deeply concerning entry into the facility, insisting that armed forces entering UN grounds without consent is unacceptable.

Tuesday's action follows legislation that took effect last year prohibiting Unrwa from functioning anywhere Israel considers its own territory—including East Jerusalem, seized from Jordan in 1967 and subsequently annexed in a move unrecognized by most of the world. Israeli state bodies are likewise barred from any contact with the agency. Closure orders have already ended classroom instruction at six Unrwa schools in East Jerusalem, affecting some 800 pupils.

The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry urged governments worldwide to act swiftly to safeguard the college, restore its personnel, and stop Israel from cementing the seizure permanently. Unrwa was created to assist Palestinians displaced during the 1948 conflict, and many Palestinians view the escalating pressure on the agency as an effort by Israel to erase the refugee question—and the associated claim of return—from future peace negotiations.