UNRWA Calls Israel's Attack On Its Headquarters In Jerusalem An Unacceptable Violation

JAKARTA - The United Nations Agency for Assistance and Work for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported large numbers of Israeli troops stormed its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, in the early hours of Monday.

In a statement issued on Monday UNRWA said trucks and cranes were seen entering the compound, quoted from WAFA (8/12).

There is no further information available at this time, as Israeli forces have cut communication, and no UN staff is inside the compound.

UNRWA stressed that the forced and illegitimate entry of Israeli troops was an unacceptable violation of its privileges and immunity as a UN agency.

The agency noted that Israel is a party to the United Nations Convention on Special Rights and Immunity, which stipulates that the UN headquarters cannot be contested (immunity from searches and seizures), with property and assets immune from legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem's governorship said full-armed Israeli occupation forces stormed UNRWA's headquarters in the early hours of the morning, detaining security personnel and confiscating their phones.

This resulted in a complete blackout of communications, making it impossible to confirm what was happening inside the building. At the same time, the area is completely closed, and occupation forces conduct extensive searches of all facilities inside the building.

In a statement, Jerusalem's governorship condemned the raids on UNRWA's headquarters as a blatant violation of international law and a serious violation of the sino and dignity of United Nations institutions.

This is also a real violation of the UN Charter, its membership provisions, and its resolutions, particularly the Resolution of the Security Council 2730 (May 24, 2024), which requires countries to respect and protect UN institutions and humanitarian personnel. This applies directly to UNRWA, its facilities, and its staff.

It was explained that the raids took place in the context of a series of attacks carried out by Israeli settlers and Knesset members following the implementation of the occupation government's decision to ban UNRWA's work in East Jerusalem on January 30, a decision that led to the departure of international staff from the city due to the end of their Israeli permit, while local staff were not present at the agency's head office during the raid.