Israeli Forces Shut Down Final Unrwa Facility in East Jerusalem, Sparking UN Outcry

Israeli security forces have raided and shuttered the Qalandia Training Centre, the last remaining facility operated by the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency in occupied East Jerusalem. The takeover, carried out on Tuesday, prompted swift criticism from UN Secretary General António Guterres, who warned that the closure will strip young Palestinians of vital vocational education.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the secretary general was deeply troubled by the operation, adding that international law guarantees all UN premises protection from interference and renders them immune to such actions. In its own statement, Unrwa denounced what it described as an unauthorized entry by armed personnel into a UN compound, calling the incursion unacceptable and gravely concerning.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the operation personally, bringing along a television crew from the pro-government channel Channel 14. He later posted footage showing himself seated in the director's chair at the institute, declaring that under his watch there would be no Unrwa presence or management at the site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he had ordered the evacuation of the compound, alleging that the agency was complicit in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel in October 2023 — accusations that Unrwa firmly rejects.

Established in 1952, the training college had been educating roughly 340 Palestinians annually in trades such as carpentry, plumbing and auto mechanics. Though situated in East Jerusalem, the campus lies between Qalandia and Kfar Aqab on the far side of Israel's separation barrier, which had made it reachable for students from refugee camps throughout the West Bank. Staff have now been removed from the premises, and Israeli officials say equipment is being taken out as part of plans to convert part of the complex into a school.

Tuesday's raid is the culmination of Israeli legislation enacted last year that prohibits Unrwa from functioning anywhere within territory Israel considers its own, East Jerusalem included — land captured from Jordan in 1967 and subsequently annexed, a step most governments do not recognize. The same laws forbid Israeli state bodies from any dealings with the agency. Closure notices were also previously served on six Unrwa schools in the city, halting classroom instruction for approximately 800 Palestinian children.

The dispute over Unrwa intensified after Israeli intelligence asserted that at least 19 of its staff members joined the October 7 cross-border attack, which left around 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. A subsequent UN inquiry concluded that nine cases showed indications of possible involvement, leading to those employees' dismissal, but found the remaining allegations unsupported or lacking sufficient proof. Israeli officials have additionally charged that one in ten of the agency's Gaza workers maintained ties to armed groups — a claim Unrwa says has never been backed by shared evidence, while noting it consistently reports breaches of UN neutrality.

The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry urged governments worldwide to act swiftly and decisively to safeguard the college, secure the reinstatement of its staff, and block Israel from cementing the takeover as irreversible. Founded to assist Palestinians displaced during the 1948 conflict surrounding Israel's creation, Unrwa remains central to Palestinian identity politics: many view the sustained Israeli campaign against the agency as an effort to erase the refugee question and extinguish claims to a "right of return," one of the most contentious issues in the wider conflict.