Politics Israel starts demolition of UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem
According to media reports, Israeli police forces have entered the headquarters of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem with heavy equipment.
20.01.2026, 08:58
SDA
Israeli and Palestinian media reported that they had begun destroying buildings there. Employees of the Israeli Land Authority were involved in the operation.
Earlier intrusion by police forces
Israeli police forces had already entered the site with trucks and forklift trucks in December. According to eyewitness reports, they also hoisted an Israeli flag over a building at that time. UNRWA announced at the time that the unauthorized and violent intrusion by Israeli security forces was an "unacceptable violation" of UNRWA's rights and immunity as a UN organization. There are no longer any UN personnel on the site.
Allegations against UNRWA and Israeli legal measures
The UN organization's staff had already been ordered to leave the site by Israeli authorities a year ago. Israel accuses the aid organization of some of its employees having been involved in terrorist activities of the Islamist Hamas. The Israeli parliament subsequently passed a law banning UNRWA from working on Israeli territory and prohibited Israeli officials from cooperating with the organization.
Mandate and activities of the aid organization
The United Nations founded the relief organization in 1949 to help around 700,000 Palestinian refugees. Palestinians who fled or were displaced during the wars of 1948 and 1967, as well as their descendants, are entitled to its services. According to the organization, this now amounts to around 5.9 million people - and the number continues to rise. The aid organization is also active in Jordan and Lebanon, among other places.
Netanyahu calls for the organization to be abolished
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the aid organization to be abolished altogether. He said that the organization perpetuates the problem of Palestinian refugees and "the idea of a right of return with the aim of destroying the state of Israel".
