Israel Raids Last UNRWA Facility in East Jerusalem on August 25

Israeli authorities seized the Qalandiya Vocational Training Center, operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), in occupied East Jerusalem on August 25. More than 50 security personnel and four armored vehicles entered the compound at 10 a.m., expelling about 20 staff members and raising an Israeli flag over the site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the evacuation under a 2024 law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, citing claims that some employees were involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

How the raid unfolded

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the operation. Security forces closed the nearby Qalandiya checkpoint before the raid and deployed troops throughout the training center and adjacent refugee camp. UNRWA said Israeli officials detained roughly 40 staff members and prevented them from returning to the site. Five Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire near the training facility, according to the Jerusalem governorate. The center had operated as a vocational school for over 70 years, serving hundreds of Palestinian refugee students annually.

Israel’s legal justification and plans

Netanyahu stated in a post on X that the evacuation followed “the law we passed” and was conducted “in accordance with my directive.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed the land belongs to the Jewish National Fund, not UNRWA. Israeli authorities have already begun work to transform the property into an educational and community complex, including schools, a mosque, sports grounds, and health centers for Palestinian residents. This was the fifth unauthorized entry by Israeli authorities at the center since May, according to UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

International condemnation and UN response

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the raid as an “unlawful entry” that deprives young people of vocational education. Dujarric said the secretary-general was “greatly alarmed” by the action. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the raid a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of international law protecting UN facilities. Palestinian President called on the UN Security Council to convene urgently and adopt binding decisions to halt Israeli attacks on UN facilities. The raid followed earlier Israeli seizures of other UNRWA sites, including the demolition of the agency’s Sheikh Jarrah headquarters in January 2026 and cuts to water and electricity supplies at other facilities.

Broader campaign against UNRWA

Israel’s 2024 law banning UNRWA operations cited disputed claims that some employees were involved in the October 7 massacre. Netanyahu has stated that Israel will not allow an organization “whose employees were complicit in terrorism” to operate on its territory. The Qalandiya center was UNRWA’s last operating facility in East Jerusalem. The agency, established in 1949, provides education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees across the region.

Final Thoughts

The raid marks Israel’s most aggressive move yet against UNRWA in occupied East Jerusalem. With the vocational center seized and plans underway to replace it with Israeli-controlled facilities, the UN agency’s presence in the territory has effectively ended. International pressure is mounting, but Netanyahu shows no sign of reversing course.

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