UNRWA alleges Israel takeover of agency buildings in East Jerusalem
Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondentThe United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees has claimed that Israel was taking over buildings it says belong to the agency in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, which the Jerusalem Municipality denied.According to the UNRWA statement posted last week, and shared by its West Bank director Roland Friedrich on X, “Personnel associated with the Jerusalem Municipality have in recent days entered UNRWA facilities without authorization, including the school compound, health center, and community services office.”The Jerusalem Municipality rejected the allegation, telling The Times of Israel that “these are not UNRWA properties, but privately owned properties for which the municipality has signed a usage agreement.”“According to the owners of these properties, UNRWA itself unlawfully took control of them and did not pay [rent] during this period. The municipality intends to open educational institutions at the…
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has accused Israel of taking over its buildings in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. UNRWA stated that Jerusalem Municipality personnel entered its facilities, including a school and health center, without authorization, breaking locks and beginning work. The agency claims these actions violate international law protecting UNRWA property. However, the Jerusalem Municipality denied the allegations, stating, "these are not UNRWA properties, but privately owned properties for which the municipality has signed a usage agreement." The municipality further asserted that UNRWA had unlawfully occupied the properties and intends to open educational institutions there. This development follows Israeli legislation in late 2024 banning UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, due to allegations of Hamas infiltration and incitement.
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