(VOVWORLD) - On Tuesday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) condemned Israeli authorities for demolishing its headquarters in East Jerusalem.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said Israeli forces entered the compound around 7 a.m. local time in what he described as “an attack on UNRWA and its facilities.”
According to sources, Israeli forces deployed bulldozers and heavy equipment to demolish the UNRWA headquarters and associated structures. In a statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said UNRWA had ceased operations at the site and that no UN staff or activities remained there.
The demolition occurred amid years of increased Israeli pressure on UNRWA, with accusations of links to Hamas and involvement in attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. One month earlier, Israeli authorities raided the compound and confiscated property over alleged municipal tax violations.
The United Nations rejected these allegations, reaffirming that the East Jerusalem compound “remains a UN facility, inviolable, and entitled to immunity from all forms of interference.”