By Pesha Magid
JERUSALEM, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Israel demolished structures inside the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency’s East Jerusalem compound on Tuesday after seizing the site last year, in an act condemned by the agency as a violation of international law.
Surrounded by Israeli forces, bulldozers razed several large buildings and other smaller structures inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s compound, where dozens of agency staff once worked.
UNRWA, which has been accused of bias by Israel, has not used the building since the start of last year after Israel ordered it to vacate all its premises and cease its operations.
‘UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK’
A spokesperson for UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, told Reuters that Israeli forces entered the compound around 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), forced out the compound’s security guards and then brought in bulldozers to begin demolishing buildings inside.
“This is an unprecedented attack against UNRWA and its premises and it also constitutes a serious violation of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” Fowler said.
Some former UNRWA staff said the structures that were demolished on Tuesday had been used to store aid for the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel’s parliament passed a law in October 2024 banning the agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with the agency.
Israel has alleged that some UNRWA staff were members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and took part in the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to Israel’s war against Hamas, in which Gaza authorities say more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed.
UNRWA has fired several staff members but said Israel had not provided evidence for all the allegations against its staff.
In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry said the “compound does not enjoy any immunity and the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law.”
Israel’s Jerusalem municipality raided the compound last year, saying UNRWA had failed to pay property taxes of 11 million shekels ($3.4 million) after multiple warnings were issued and all necessary procedures were followed.
UNRWA says the East Jerusalem compound remained U.N. premises despite the Israeli ban on its operations and that the agency had no debts to the municipality.
The agency operates in East Jerusalem, which the U.N. and most countries consider territory occupied by Israel. Israel considers all Jerusalem to be part of the country.
UNRWA also operates in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East, providing schooling, healthcare, social services and shelter to millions of Palestinians.
(Reporting by Pesha Magid and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Ros Russell)
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