Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Israel Seizes Assets at UNRWA’s East Jerusalem Compound, Raises Israeli Flag

The UN says the entry violated the inviolability of its premises under international law.

Overview

  • UNRWA reports Israeli police with municipal teams forced their way into the sealed Sheikh Jarrah site, cut communications, and removed furniture and IT equipment.
  • Israel Police say they secured a Jerusalem municipality debt-collection operation over alleged property tax arrears of about 11 million shekels.
  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “unauthorized entry” and said the compound remains protected UN property under international law.
  • UN-contracted guards said they were confined and had their phones taken as an Israeli flag was hoisted over the compound.
  • The offices have been inactive since Israel banned UNRWA in 2024, and the agency’s reduced footprint and donor cutoffs have strained services for millions of Palestinian refugees.