TULKARM, October 31, 2024 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces demolished the office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) today in the Nour Shams refugee camp, located east of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank.

Nihad Al-Shawish, head of the Nur Shams Services Committee, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers tore down the UNRWA office situated in the center of the camp, along with its surrounding walls.

Al-Shawish highlighted that Nour Shams camp is home to two UNRWA schools—one for girls and another for boys—serving a total of 1,536 students according to the 2022-2023 academic year data.

The refugee camp also houses a health center providing primary healthcare services, including reproductive health, maternal and child care, vaccinations, medical check-ups, and dental clinics, all managed by UNRWA.

On Monday, the Israeli Knesset passed a law prohibiting the operations of UNRWA, despite international warnings about the implications of such legislation, which violates various international agreements and norms.

The law aims to "prevent any activity by UNRWA in the territory of the State of Israel," stipulating that the agency will not operate any representative offices or provide services, either directly or indirectly, within Israeli territory.

This legislation nullifies the 1967 agreement that allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel, effectively halting the agency's activities within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories while prohibiting any communication between Israeli officials and UNRWA staff.

UNRWA was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza.

M.N