JERUSALEM, January 14, 2026 (WAFA) – The Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, warned of the imminent undermining of the agency's operational presence in East Jerusalem, given the escalation of Israeli occupation measures against its institutions.

In a press statement issued Wednesday, Friedrich said: "Two days ago, Israeli forces forcibly stormed the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Center and demanded the removal of UN signs, despite the fact that the center has enjoyed the support of member states for decades and has been visited by representatives of many of them."

He added that the raid was followed by a temporary closure order against the health center for thirty days, with the possibility that it may not be reopened, signaling a rapidly diminishing UN presence in occupied East Jerusalem.

Frederick explained that UNRWA had simultaneously received notifications from service providers indicating the imminent cutting off of electricity and water supplies to several of its facilities across East Jerusalem, including schools, health centers, and other essential service points. He noted that the continuation of humanitarian services is impossible without electricity and water.

He pointed out that these developments follow amendments made in December 2025 to laws passed by the Knesset targeting UNRWA. He considered these measures part of an ongoing campaign by the Israeli occupation authorities to prevent the agency from fulfilling its mandate, granted to it by the UN General Assembly, in occupied East Jerusalem, which is not under Israeli sovereignty.

Frederick emphasized that the application of Israeli law in occupied East Jerusalem is illegal, noting that the International Court of Justice ruled in October 2025 that Israel is obligated to facilitate UNRWA's relief operations, but the current measures contradict this.

He warned that the implementation of these amendments and measures could signal the approaching end of UNRWA's decades-long operational presence in East Jerusalem.

K.T