UNRWA Headquarters in East Jerusalem. (file)
This article is published in association with United Nations.
The UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that Israeli police raided its compound in East Jerusalem early on Monday, representing “a new challenge to international law.”
Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the facility, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on the social media platform X.
Police motorcycles, trucks and forklifts were brought in and all communications were cut, he said, while furniture, IT equipment and other property were seized.
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The UN flag was pulled down and replaced with an Israeli flag.
Israel urged to recognise UN immunity
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement strongly condemning the unauthorised entry.
“This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference,” he said.
“I urge Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to restore, preserve and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises, in line with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international law.”
‘Blatant disregard’
“This latest action represents a blatant disregard of Israel’s obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises,” Mr. Lazzarini said.
“To allow this represents a new challenge to international law, one that creates a dangerous precedent anywhere else the UN is present across the world.”
UNRWA provides health, education and other services to roughly six million Palestine refugees in five locations in the Middle East, including the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The agency has come under attack following the latest hostilities in Gaza, which began after the deadly 7 October 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel.
Mr. Lazzarini said the East Jerusalem compound has been vacant since the beginning of the year after the Israeli parliament passed “anti-UNRWA legislation”. Read more about the laws here.
This was preceded by months of harassment, including arson attacks in 2024, as well as hateful demonstrations and intimidation, supported by a large-scale disinformation campaign.
UN premises are inviolable
“However, whatever action taken domestically, the compound retains its status as a UN premises, immune from any form of interference,” the UNRWA chief said.
Israel is a party to the Convention on the Privileges & Immunities of the UN – the international treaty that “makes UN premises inviolable – in other words, immune from search and/or seizure – and makes UN property and assets immune from legal process,” he said.
He added that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “has also underscored that Israel is obliged to cooperate with UNRWA and other UN agencies.”
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