JERUSALEM, February 3, 2025 (WAFA) – A group of Israeli colonists stormed on Monday evening the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, according to local sources.
Sources said that colonists stormed UNRWA headquarters, raised Israeli flags and displayed provocative banners at the site.
This incident follows the recent enactment of two Israeli Knesset (Parliament) laws, which target the operations of UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territories. The laws, which came into effect last Thursday, are set to deprive tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees of essential services, including education and healthcare.
The first law prohibits the activities of UNRWA within areas under Israeli sovereignty, which includes halting the agency’s operations and closing its offices. The second law bans any interaction with the agency, severely restricting its ability to deliver aid and support to Palestinian refugees in the region.
This escalation marks a significant step in Israel’s ongoing efforts to undermine UNRWA’s presence and its mission of providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees.
The term "areas under Israeli sovereignty," as referenced in the recently passed Israeli law, specifically refers to occupied East Jerusalem, where the temporary headquarters of UNRWA is located. This area has recently been subjected to a wave of violent actions and exclusionary policies by Israeli authorities.
In May 2024, UNRWA was forced to close its headquarters in the face of violent attacks by colonists, which included setting fire to the agency’s buildings twice within a single week.
On 10 October 2024, the Israeli Land Authority announced its decision to seize the land where the UNRWA headquarters is situated in Sheikh Jarrah, planning to turn the site into a colonial outpost that would include 1,440 residential units.
Furthermore, the Israeli Land Authority issued an eviction order on 14 January 2024 against the UNRWA-run Qalandiya Training College. The order demanded the agency vacate the premises and pay backdated occupancy fees amounting to 17 million shekels, citing the construction of buildings without permits.
UNRWA continues to serve over 110,000 Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem, operating camps such as Shu'fat and Qalandiya and providing essential services through multiple educational and health facilities.
T.R.
