Israel demolishes UN compound in East Jerusalem

Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished several buildings within the East Jerusalem compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), an action that drew immediate and sharp condemnation from the UN body, reported Xinhua.

In a post on social media platform X, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the move as "an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises" and "a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law."

Lazzarini warned that it set a dangerous precedent for the safety of all international organizations.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned Israel's demolition of a UN compound in East Jerusalem, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, said in a statement.

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli authorities' actions to demolish" the Sheikh Jarrah compound of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the statement said.

It said that, as Guterres "has repeatedly and unequivocally stated, including in his letter to the Prime Minister of Israel on 8 January 2026, the Sheikh Jarrah compound remains United Nations premises, and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference."

The secretary-general urges the Israeli government to immediately cease the demolition of the compound, and to return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay, the statement said.

It added that Guterres views as wholly unacceptable the continued escalatory actions against UNRWA, which are inconsistent with Israel's clear obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the Israel Land Authority said the demolition was an enforcement action against "illegal" structures, carried out in line with Israeli planning and construction laws. It also released a photo showing the Israeli national flag placed atop a building.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the compound "does not enjoy any immunity" and that the action complied with the law.

According to the Times of Israel, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, was present at the scene, hailing the day as "an important day for sovereignty in Jerusalem."

Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital, a claim not recognized internationally, while the UN regards East Jerusalem as occupied territory. Israeli officials have long accused UNRWA of employing Hamas members, which the agency denies.

In October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law banning UNRWA, which provides desperately-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and other areas, from operating in areas under Israeli jurisdiction, and prohibiting Israeli authorities from maintaining contact or cooperation with the agency, a move UNRWA and international bodies say violates international law. Israel then amended the law in December 2025 to ban electricity or water to UNRWA facilities.

Last month, Israeli authorities seized UNRWA's offices in East Jerusalem.