RAMALLAH, January 19, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) on Tuesday condemned what it described as a new crime by the Israeli occupation, following the seizure of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied Jerusalem.

In a statement, the network said Israeli bulldozers carried out demolition works at the main UNRWA compound, which houses several offices, and raised the Israeli flag over the building in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

The network reiterated that the demolition and raid, accompanied by a show of force by the Israeli army, are part of ongoing attempts to dismantle UNRWA's operations and eliminate the right of return for Palestinian refugees, guaranteed by UN Resolution 194. This is part of a continuous campaign by the occupying power targeting Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank, working to undermine and reshape them as a testament to the Nakba, as part of its open war against the Palestinian people and its ongoing genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The building has been subjected to intensified and continuous attacks for several months.

The network called for immediate international action to stop these crimes, to amplify the voice of the United Nations, which established the agency and under whose auspices it has operated for 77 years, and to confront the occupation's actions with concrete steps, including suspending the occupying power's membership in the United Nations through a Security Council resolution if the UN vetoes the resolution.

 It also called for an emergency meeting of the General Assembly, along with international efforts to hold the occupying power accountable for its crimes and to respond to the demolition of the headquarters by increasing support and funding and protecting the agency's work to ensure its continued provision of services and fulfillment of its mandated role since its inception, and to prevent the termination of this role under any circumstances.

The network also demanded the protection of the staff at the headquarters and the preservation of the documents, papers, and various equipment, which contain vital information concerning refugees, the agency's work, and its employees, including records, archives, and other materials. It warned against the destruction and loss of these documents, which could deprive the refugee population of their rights.

Y.S