Israel Raids UNRWA Compound in Occupied East Jerusalem and Replaces UN Flag with Israeli Flag

Israeli police and Jerusalem municipal officials forcibly entered a vacant UNRWA compound in occupied East Jerusalem, cut communications, seized furniture, IT equipment and other property, removed the UN flag and raised an Israeli flag, according to UNRWA and multiple eyewitness accounts.

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ABNA English

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the site was entered 'by force' with trucks and forklifts and that communications were cut; Israeli authorities and the Jerusalem municipality framed the operation as a debt-collection measure over an alleged unpaid property tax bill of roughly 11 million shekels.

ABNA English

The agency called the action a breach of international law and of Israel's obligation to respect the inviolability of U.N. premises.

The U.N. secretary-general and UNRWA leaders strongly condemned the entry.

António Guterres called the unauthorized entry a breach of inviolability and urged Israel to restore and respect UN premises' immunity.

Al Jazeera

Philippe Lazzarini warned the raid 'sets a dangerous precedent' and said the compound had been the target of months of harassment, including arson and disinformation.

U.N. spokespeople and officials cited the U.N. Convention on the Privileges and Immunities to say UNRWA premises are exempt from local taxes and must be protected.

The raid occurs in the context of sustained Israeli actions to curb UNRWA’s operations.

Israel passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and ordered premises vacated earlier in the year.

Israel has accused some staff of links to Hamas, allegations that UNRWA says it investigated and that Israel has not fully substantiated.

Multiple outlets note that UNRWA fired some employees but say Israel has not provided evidence for all claims.

The International Court of Justice and U.N. bodies have weighed in on legal and humanitarian obligations amid the broader Gaza crisis.

UN agencies warn that stopping UNRWA would devastate essential services for millions of Palestinian refugees.

Internationally, reactions vary but cluster around two clear lines.

U.N. officials and many countries condemn the breach of UN immunities and warn about the humanitarian implications, while Israeli authorities and some domestic voices argue the municipal tax enforcement was lawful and followed standard procedures.

Al-Jazeera Net

The U.N. General Assembly recently renewed UNRWA's mandate, and the International Court of Justice has intervened in related humanitarian-access matters, points cited by several outlets to underline the legal and political stakes.

Separately, friction between Israel and Western militaries surfaced in reports about alleged Israeli surveillance of U.S. personnel at a southern Civil-Military Coordination Center, illustrating broader operational distrust that complicates cooperation on Gaza assistance and post-war planning.

The facts around staff culpability and legal justification remain contested in the sources.

“A young Palestinian man was shot in the foot with live ammunition near the separation wall in Al‑Ram, a location where workers are often hurt while trying to cross for work”

Al-Jazeera Net

Israel has accused some UNRWA staff of links to Hamas and participation in the October 7 attacks.

Al-Jazeera Net

Israel has also passed domestic laws restricting the agency.

UNRWA and U.N. officials say investigations resulted in some dismissals but that Israel has not provided evidence supporting broader claims.

The International Court of Justice and U.N. bodies have been involved in related disputes over humanitarian access.

Multiple sources document large Palestinian casualty totals from Israel’s Gaza offensive but do not universally use the term "genocide" in these excerpts.

The record across outlets remains contested, and given divergent framings and the absence of full evidentiary disclosure in the snippets provided, the case contains clear ambiguities and unresolved legal and factual disputes.