Elham Asaad Buaras
The United Nations has accused the Israeli government of “intimidation,” “harassment,” and a “blatant disregard” of its international obligations following a raid by Israeli officials and police on a UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem.
The premises, which belong to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, have been vacant since January, when Israel ordered its closure based on allegations—vehemently denied by the UN—that Hamas members were present there.
On December 8, police accompanied by municipal officials entered the sealed compound, removed UN office furniture and property, and replaced the UN flag with an Israeli one.
Israeli authorities have sought to justify the operation by claiming UNRWA owes hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid local taxes. This argument directly contradicts the UN Charter, which grants UN premises inviolability and exempts them from such levies. The Charter further obliges host states to protect UN facilities, not forcibly enter them.
UN security contractors inside the compound were briefly detained during the raid. George, the head of security, described how his team initially refused entry: “We didn’t let them in when they first came, but they cut the chains and locks and took control. They told my guards to stay in one room, took their phones, and said they couldn’t leave.”
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini strongly condemned the incident, stressing that Israel, as a UN Member State, is obligated to safeguard UN facilities. He called the raid “a blatant disregard of Israel’s duty to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises,” warning that it “represents a new challenge to international law and sets a dangerous precedent for UN operations worldwide.”
Outside the compound, former UNRWA Chief of Staff Hakam Shahwan called it “a very sad day,” linking the raid directly to Israel’s earlier, unsubstantiated allegations against the agency. “The false accusations led to this,” he said. “This is a shameful day, not only for the United Nations but for the government of Israel. The international community must respond strongly. This is unacceptable.”
The Israeli government has defended its position, reiterating its claim that UNRWA is compromised. Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated, “UNRWA is a stain on the United Nations. It is time for UNRWA to be dismantled. It is not part of the solution for Gaza; it is part of the problem.”
Bedrosian declined to comment on the raid’s legality or Israel’s compliance with the UN Charter.
Feature photo: The headquarters of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, in East Jerusalem, were unlawfully raided by Israeli officials (Credit: UNRWA).
