Israel bulldozes UNRWA buildings in occupied East Jerusalem
Israeli authorities demolish a UNRWA compound, belonging to the UN agency that assists Palestinian refugees, in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026
Israel has begun bulldozing buildings inside the headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem, as the far-right government clamps down heavily on humanitarian groups that provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
UNRWA said in a statement on Tuesday that Israeli forces had confiscated staff devices and forced them out of their headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
“This is an unprecedented attack not only against UNRWA and its premises. It constitutes a serious violation of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” it said.
Later on Tuesday, Israeli forces fired tear gas at a Palestinian trade school in a second targeting of a UN facility in occupied East Jerusalem.
Local sources reported earlier that an Israeli army group, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed the UNRWA’s compound after sealing off the surrounding streets and intensifying its military presence in the area, and proceeded to demolish structures inside the compound, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Israeli lawmakers and member of the government were also present, according to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, who said the attack came “in the wake of other steps taken by Israeli authorities to erase the Palestine Refugee identity”.
He also warned that “what happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organisation or diplomatic mission” anywhere in the world.
Israel has repeatedly attacked UNRWA for what it terms pro-Palestinian leanings and accused the body of ties to Hamas, without providing evidence, which the UN agency has vehemently denied.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the demolition was following through on a new law that banned the organisation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement that he had accompanied crews to the headquarters and called it a “historic day”.
