UN condemns Israeli raid on UNRWA headquarters in al-Quds
The United Nations has issued a strong condemnation of Israel's recent raid on the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, located in occupied al-Quds's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced the unauthorized raid, stating that the compound is UN property and is inviolable under international law.
Guterres stated, "I strongly condemn today’s unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA... It is immune from any other form of interference."
He emphasized that actions against UN premises are prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, reiterated the call for Israel to respect the inviolability of UNRWA premises and refrain from further actions that violate international obligations.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, criticized the raid as a blatant challenge to international law.
He reported that Israeli police, accompanied by municipal officials, forcibly entered the compound, seizing furniture and IT equipment while cutting all communications. The UN flag was reportedly replaced with an Israeli flag during the incident.
Lazzarini noted that the raid followed months of harassment against UNRWA, including arson attacks and a disinformation campaign, further exacerbated by recent anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset.
In a statement on Monday, the al-Quds Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA), said Israeli police entered the compound, detained its security guards, and confiscated their phones.
The compound, used as an UNRWA office since 1951, had been vacated earlier this year following a decision by Israel.
The raid came two days after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution renewing UNRWA’s mandate for three more years, with 151 countries voting in favor, 10 opposed, and 14 abstaining.
Israel has banned UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories after accusing some of its staff of being involved in the al-Aqsa storm operation in October 2023.
Despite repeated requests from UNRWA for the Israeli regime to provide evidence supporting its allegations, the agency has received no response.
The UN agency has faced deepening financial turmoil since Israel launched a defamation campaign against it.
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