The acting head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has condemned the Israeli seizure of the agency’s training centre in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the move as part of a broader campaign to weaken UNRWA and undermine Palestinian refugee rights.
Acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces violated the protections afforded to United Nations premises when they raided the Qalandiya Training Centre and expelled UNRWA staff.
Israeli forces seized the facility in the Kafr Aqab area on Tuesday and ordered UNRWA employees not to return. Five Palestinians were reportedly injured by Israeli gunfire near the site.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the operation and said there was “no place” for UNRWA in Jerusalem or Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the action, saying it was carried out legally under Israeli legislation.
Saunders said the takeover would affect about 340 young Palestinians who receive education and vocational training at the centre. He warned that many students, particularly those from disadvantaged families, could lose opportunities to acquire skills needed for a dignified future.
The Qalandiya centre is part of UNRWA’s network of services for Palestinian refugees and serves approximately 16,000 refugees from Qalandiya refugee camp and surrounding areas of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli authorities said the property belonged to the Jewish National Fund and had been allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for a planned educational and community complex. They also referred to legislation passed in October 2024 restricting UNRWA’s activities.
UNRWA rejected the claims, maintaining that the centre is a United Nations facility protected under international law.
UNRWA Under Increasing Pressure
Saunders said the pressure on UNRWA is part of a wider effort to weaken the agency, reduce its funding and ultimately remove the issue of Palestinian refugees from international attention.
He argued that eliminating UNRWA could also affect longstanding Palestinian claims concerning the right of return, reparations and compensation.
Saunders stressed that UNRWA’s mandate comes directly from the United Nations General Assembly and that the agency will continue providing humanitarian and development services until the General Assembly changes its mandate or a lasting political solution to the Palestinian question is reached.
However, he acknowledged that the United Nations has limited power to prevent further actions against its facilities without stronger collective action from its member states.
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