Israeli forces raid UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem

Israeli forces have raided the Qalandiya Training Centre, a key facility operated by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the neighbourhood of Kafr Aqab in occupied East Jerusalem.

Before the raid on Tuesday, which UNRWA condemned, Israeli forces closed the nearby Qalandiya checkpoint, the primary Israeli checkpoint between East Jerusalem and the northern West Bank.

Heavy military deployments spread throughout the surrounding neighbourhoods and the adjacent Qalandiya refugee camp in the West Bank. Soldiers forcibly expelled all UNRWA employees from the site, telling them not to return.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the raid. Speaking from the site, Ben-Gvir praised the operation, stating that authorities had begun an “operation to evacuate the building” and asserting that “there is no place for the agency in Jerusalem and Israel.” He also posted on X that “UNRWA in our hands.”

After the raid, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Jerusalem Municipality had already commenced work to transform the property into a new educational and community complex.

The ministry claimed the project would serve thousands of Palestinian residents in Kafr Aqab with planned facilities including additional schools, a mosque, sports grounds and health centres.

‘Deeply concerning incursion’

UNRWA released a statement to “unequivocally condemn” what it described as an “unauthorised and deeply concerning incursion”.

“The entry of armed security forces into a United Nations facility, without the authorisation or consent of the United Nations, is unacceptable,” it said. “The KTC [Qalandiya Training Centre] is a United Nations facility protected by the privileges and immunities afforded to the Organisation under international law. Its inviolability must be fully respected.”

UNRWA also called on the international community to act immediately and condemn the violation.

“The international community must ensure that United Nations premises are protected from unauthorised entry and seizure, and that UNRWA can continue delivering essential services to Palestine Refugee communities without intimidation, obstruction or interference.

“The integrity and inviolability of United Nations premises cannot be conditional. They must be respected, upheld and protected.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera, the director of UNRWA affairs in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, said the break-in was a “very concerning development” and “not just a violation of the privileges and communities of the United Nations” but also a “violation of the right of young Palestinians to quality education”.

Israeli officials alleged that the site had been owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and had been allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for the educational and community project, arguing that UNRWA had fenced off the land for decades without legal ownership rights. The Foreign Ministry directly cited anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset in October 2024, banning the agency’s activities in Israel, to justify the takeover.

UNRWA, however, firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that the Qalandiya Training Centre is a UN facility and is protected under international law.

‘Clear violation of international law’

Reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, journalist Sarah Abu Alrob highlighted the severe human impact of the decision. She noted that the centre provided vital services to 16,000 Palestinian refugees who are either in the Qalandiya refugee camp or who visit from across the West Bank.

She said the raid follows a similar operation months ago when Israeli forces raided the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, where they evacuated the premises and demolished part of the building.

“This comes within a larger campaign where the Israeli government has been calling to dismantle the UNRWA organisation that provides educational, medical and social services to Palestinian refugees who are still in the occupied West Bank,” Abu Alrob said.

Human rights advocates and legal experts have condemned the action. Mohammad Dahleh, a lawyer and human rights advocate from East Jerusalem, described the takeover as a direct breach of international law.

“It’s a clear violation of international law, and it’s a clear violation of the advisory opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world, just in December 2025,” Dahleh told Al Jazeera.

“Israel doesn’t care about international law, doesn’t care about the ruling or the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice or about the criticism that many countries have against these actions, especially in a period where Palestinian refugees are so vulnerable.”

Dahleh emphasised the critical role that UNRWA has played on the ground during this crisis.

“Palestinian refugees are in a period where they need the assistance that UNRWA is providing the most, whether it’s in occupied Gaza or the occupied West Bank.”