UNRWA acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders condemned Israel’s seizure of the agency’s Qalandiya Training Centre in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, saying the raid violated UN premises and was part of a campaign to weaken UNRWA and Palestinian rights.
Israeli forces expelled UNRWA employees from the centre in Kafr Aqab and ordered them not to return. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the raid, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the evacuation was lawful under Israeli legislation.
Students and refugees affected by the takeover
Saunders said 340 young Palestinians would miss education and training because of the closure. The centre serves about 16,000 Palestinian refugees from Qalandiya refugee camp and other parts of the occupied West Bank.
Five Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire near the site, according to the Jerusalem governorate. The raid followed the closure of the nearby Qalandiya checkpoint and a heavy Israeli military deployment in the area.
Israel and UNRWA dispute the facility’s status
Israeli authorities said the property belonged to the Jewish National Fund and had been allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for a planned educational and community complex. They also cited legislation passed in October 2024 that restricts UNRWA’s activities.
UNRWA rejected those claims, saying the centre is a United Nations facility protected under international law. Saunders said the agency’s mandate comes from the UN General Assembly and links the pressure on UNRWA to Palestinian refugee rights, including the right of return, reparations and compensation.
What happens next
Saunders said UNRWA will continue providing humanitarian and public services until the UN General Assembly decides otherwise or there is a durable solution to the Palestine question.
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