Israel’s demolition of UNWRA’s headquarters
Israel recently demolished UNRWA’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem as some critics suggested it is trying to strip Palestinians of their protected refugee status.
Former staff members said several structures that were destroyed were used to store aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The UN said the action violates international law.
Israeli forces demolished UNRWA’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem. The UN says the action violates international law and follows a broader crackdown on the agency, which millions of Palestinian refugees depend on for aid. pic.twitter.com/9XrYMOac22
— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 26, 2026
West Bank’s Palestinians ‘trapped between settlements, walls and gates’
This current raid in the Jerusalem area enforces Israeli control. At the same time, it lays the ground for a planned new illegal settlement in the Qalandiya area.
On the other hand, there’s an assault on the refugee camp itself, and that is part of the pattern of taking one refugee camp at a time, banning UNWRA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees], and then targeting the community centres where social support exists. And the raid happened during the schoolday, so it added to the traumatic effect on the children attending.
The endgame is not a secret. The endgame is annexation, it’s takeover, and it is, in the words of several key ministers, to encourage Palestinians to leave the occupied West Bank, not to stay. By taking over land, demolishing homes, emptying the Jordan Valley, if you will, which is the breadbasket of the occupied West Bank, conditions of life become very difficult.
You don’t have the mass destruction of Gaza, but you certainly have an economy that is on its knees. You have 69 years of lost development, according to the United Nations, and you have a population with nowhere to go, trapped between settlements, walls, and gates.
The Israeli government, this coalition, is not interested in solutions that would maintain Palestinians on their land. The more Palestinians leave, the better.
Men and boys in occupied West Bank face higher threats of detention, excessive force: UN
Men and boys in the occupied West Bank face distinct threats and vulnerabilities, says a new report by the United Nations Human Rights Office.
“Data shows men and boys in the West Bank face heightened risk of detention, excessive use of force – including lethal force, and systematic humiliation,” the report said, adding that “urgent protection responses” that account for age, gender and diversity are necessary.
“Israeli forces treat Palestinian male identity as an inherent security threat, even children.”
According to the UN body, Palestinian men and boys make up 99 percent of all Palestinian detainees, the majority of whom are held in administrative detention and have not been charged with any crime. Additionally, men and boys make up 97 percent of those killed or injured through excessive use of force by Israeli forces.
While in detention, this group faces torture, sexual violence and other physical and psychosocial harm, including death in custody.
“Across all risks, Israeli forces have exploited gender norms to inflict dignity-related harm and abuse intended to humiliate men and boys, erode social fabric, and induce displacement of communities,” the report said.
Intensified militarised operations, escalating settler violence, forced displacement and economic collapse are all pressures driving these harms, said the UN office.
