The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the demolition and burning of its headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the attack as an unprecedented assault on a UN agency and a blatant violation of international law.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the agency’s compound was stormed and demolished by Israeli occupation forces, and that the buildings were set on fire.
In a post on X, Lazzarini warned that “there is no limit to the challenge to the UN and international law in the occupied Palestinian territory,” emphasizing that allowing such destruction represents the latest attempt to undermine the status of Palestinian refugees and erase their history.
He added that the refugee issue should be resolved through a genuine political solution, not through criminal actions.
Lazzarini described the incident as an “unprecedented attack” on a United Nations agency and its facilities, and said it marks “a new level of blatant and deliberate challenge to international law,” including UN privileges and immunities, by Israel.
The statement followed strong condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who denounced the Israeli authorities’ actions aimed at demolishing the UNRWA complex in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Guterres called for an immediate halt to the demolition and urged Israel to return the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay.
Israeli forces reportedly stormed the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem on January 20, using bulldozers to begin demolishing buildings inside the compound “in the presence of lawmakers and a member of the government,” according to reports.
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