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Israel Demolishes Buildings Inside UNRWA’s East Jerusalem Compound as UN Condemns Move

UN leaders say the compound is inviolable UN property, urging an immediate halt to the operation.

A photograph shows machinery demolishing a structure inside the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on January 20, 2026. Israeli bulldozers began demolitions at the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem on January 20, in what the organisation called an "unprecedented attack". The compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem has been empty of UNRWA staff since January 2025, when a law banning its operations took effect after a months-long battle over its work in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by ILIA YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Bulldozers entered the Sheikh Jarrah compound early Tuesday after Israeli forces ousted private security and confiscated staff devices, with several buildings inside the site torn down.
  • Israel says the compound is state property and cites laws passed since 2024 that ban UNRWA, allow reclaiming properties, and authorize cutting utilities, noting the site has been vacated since January 2025.
  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the action as an unauthorized entry onto UN premises protected by the Convention on Privileges and Immunities and called for the compound’s restoration to the UN.
  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the site and praised the demolition, reflecting the government’s broader campaign to sideline UNRWA over alleged Hamas ties that the agency disputes.
  • UNRWA rejected Israel’s ownership claim as “false and illegal,” saying it has leased the land from Jordan since 1952, while warning of escalating measures including a Jan. 14 clinic closure and planned cuts to power and water; the ICJ has previously said Israel should not obstruct UNRWA’s functions.