Israeli Police Enter UNRWA Compound in East Jerusalem Amid Ongoing Tensions

Israeli police entered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) compound in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood on December 8, 2025. The operation involved police motorcycles, trucks, and forklifts, and resulted in the seizure of furniture, IT equipment, and other property. Communications to the compound were also cut during the incident.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the action, stating it represented "a blatant disregard of Israel's obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect & respect the inviolability of UN premises."

Israeli police indicated that the entry was part of a "debt-collection procedure" initiated by Jerusalem's municipal government. However, UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler refuted this claim, asserting that the agency had "no debts to the municipality. Period."

This incident is part of a broader pattern of actions against UNRWA by Israeli authorities. In January 2025, Israel banned the agency from operating within its territory, including East Jerusalem, alleging ties between some UNRWA staff and Hamas. UNRWA has denied these allegations.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the raid, emphasizing that the UNRWA compound is UN property and is inviolable under international law. He called on Israel to cease further actions involving UNRWA premises and to uphold the facility's protected status.

UNRWA provides aid and services to approximately 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as to 3 million more refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The agency was established to assist Palestinians displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The recent raid has drawn international attention, with Jordan's Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs condemning the action as a violation of international law and rejecting efforts to undermine UNRWA's role in providing essential services to Palestinian refugees.