Israeli bulldozers began demolishing buildings inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, a move UNRWA described as an “unprecedented attack” and a serious breach of international law, as tensions between Israel and the UN agency escalated sharply.
The demolition unfolded shortly after 7:00 a.m. local time at UNRWA’s main compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where journalists on the scene reported Israeli forces entering the site and raising an Israeli flag inside the premises.
Witnesses, including an Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer, confirmed that heavy machinery tore into structures within the compound as security forces secured the area. Some accounts said far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was present during the operation.
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said Israeli forces had “stormed into” the compound, calling the move a direct assault on the agency and its protected status.
“This is an unprecedented attack against UNRWA and its premises,” Fowler told AFP. “It also constitutes a serious violation of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.”
