Jerusalem / PNN /

Israeli Occupation bulldozers began demolishing structures inside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem on Tuesday morning.

Local sources reported that an Israeli army force, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed the agency's compound after sealing off the surrounding streets and intensifying its military presence in the area, and proceeded to demolish structures inside the compound.

PLO body condemns Israeli demolition of UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem

Jerusalem — The Refugee Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization on Tuesday condemned Israel’s demolition of mobile offices belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at its headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the department said the demolition was carried out under the direct supervision of Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling it a deliberate attack on a United Nations agency protected by international legal immunity.

The department said the move reflects what it described as a systematic Israeli government policy aimed at undermining UNRWA’s mandate and erasing its legal and humanitarian role, in violation of international humanitarian law, United Nations resolutions and an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in October.

Also, the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) on Tuesday condemned what it described as a new crime by the Israeli occupation, following the seizure of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied Jerusalem.

In a statement, the network said Israeli bulldozers carried out demolition works at the main UNRWA compound, which houses several offices, and raised the Israeli flag over the building in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

The network reiterated that the demolition and raid, accompanied by a show of force by the Israeli army, are part of ongoing attempts to dismantle UNRWA's operations and eliminate the right of return for Palestinian refugees, guaranteed by UN Resolution 194. This is part of a continuous campaign by the occupying power targeting Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank, working to undermine and reshape them as a testament to the Nakba, as part of its open war against the Palestinian people and its ongoing genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The building has been subjected to intensified and continuous attacks for several months.

The network called for immediate international action to stop these crimes, to amplify the voice of the United Nations, which established the agency and under whose auspices it has operated for 77 years, and to confront the occupation's actions with concrete steps, including suspending the occupying power's membership in the United Nations through a Security Council resolution if the UN vetoes the resolution.

It also called for an emergency meeting of the General Assembly, along with international efforts to hold the occupying power accountable for its crimes and to respond to the demolition of the headquarters by increasing support and funding and protecting the agency's work to ensure its continued provision of services and fulfillment of its mandated role since its inception, and to prevent the termination of this role under any circumstances.

The network also demanded the protection of the staff at the headquarters and the preservation of the documents, papers, and various equipment, which contain vital information concerning refugees, the agency's work, and its employees, including records, archives, and other materials. It warned against the destruction and loss of these documents, which could deprive the refugee population of their rights.

It said the demolition comes amid a series of Israeli measures targeting the agency, including legislation passed in October 2024 banning UNRWA’s activities and further amendments adopted in January 2026 ordering the closure of its schools and clinics and the cutting of electricity, water and internet services to its facilities.

The department called on the United Nations, the international community and states party to the Geneva Conventions to take immediate and binding measures to protect UNRWA, ensure respect for its immunity and hold those responsible accountable under international law.

for its part the Jerusalem Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) condemned the Israeli occupation forces' raid on the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.

The incursion included the demolition of structures within the compound and the raising of Israeli flags. The Department considered this a serious and deliberate attack on a UN agency enjoying international immunity, and an escalatory step with political dimensions that extend beyond the immediate action on the ground.

In a press statement, the Department affirmed that this raid cannot be separated from systematic Israeli policies aimed at undermining UNRWA's role and erasing the Palestinian refugee issue. These policies are part of attempts to redefine the conflict and impose an occupation narrative that denies the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right of return, of which UNRWA is a key international witness.