On Monday, Israeli officials entered the offices of the UN Palestinian refugee agency in East Jerusalem, raising the Israeli flag. This action, claimed to be due to unpaid taxes, was criticized by the agency as a violation of international law.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), accused of partiality by Israel, stopped using the building earlier this year following an Israeli order to vacate all premises and halt operations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly denounced the raid.
“This site remains United Nations property, immune to any interference,” Guterres declared. “I urge Israel to restore and maintain the inviolability of UNRWA premises immediately and refrain from further actions against them.”
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini expressed on X that Israel’s actions could set a “dangerous precedent” globally.
Raid linked to ‘significant debt’
The Jerusalem municipality stated that tax collectors entered due to unpaid property taxes of 11 million shekels ($3.4 million) after numerous warnings and procedures.
“This is a significant debt requiring collection after repeated attempts to resolve it were ignored,” they told Reuters.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler asserted that the East Jerusalem compound remains UN property, despite Israeli operational bans, and no debts exist to the municipality.
The UN has repeatedly contacted Israeli authorities to remind them of their obligations under a UN convention that Israel signed, he noted.
An Israeli government spokesperson did not respond to inquiries about the raid but reiterated criticism of UNRWA. The UN mentioned potential involvement of some employees in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
“UNRWA has tarnished the UN,” stated spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian. “There is a direct link between UNRWA and Hamas, with almost every terrorist in the October 7 attack being an UNRWA school graduate.”
Lazzarini reported that police vehicles and equipment were used during the raid, with communications cut and property seized.
The UN General Assembly renewed UNRWA’s mandate, established in 1949, for three more years on Friday. Fowler declined to comment on the raid’s timing.
He accused Israel of a “sustained disinformation campaign” against UNRWA, which Israel wants replaced by other UN entities.
Palestinians see UNRWA as integral to preserving their refugee rights, especially the hope of returning to homes lost during the 1948 conflict.
Israeli allegations
Israel claims some UNRWA staff were Hamas members involved in the October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis, prompting a war with Hamas resulting in over 70,000 Palestinian deaths.
UNRWA has dismissed several staff but stated Israel hasn’t provided evidence for all allegations. In October 2024, Israel banned the agency from operating within its borders and forbade official contacts.
UNRWA operates in East Jerusalem, deemed occupied by the UN, while Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its own.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 after the 1967 war. Most countries and the UN consider it occupied.
UNRWA also functions in Gaza, the West Bank, and other Middle Eastern regions, offering education, healthcare, social services, and shelter to millions of Palestinians.
