DUBAI: Israeli forces began demolition of UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre premises in East Jerusalem with armored vehicles on Tuesday morning.
“At least four armoured vehicles entered the premises, accompanied by more than 50 Israeli security personnel,” UNRWA told Arab News.
“UNRWA condemns today's unauthorized entry into the KTC. The Kalandia Training Centre is a UN facility enjoying privileges and immunities under international law. It is UNRWA’s oldest vocational training center.
Over seven decades, thousands of Palestine Refugees have graduated from the center and have subsequently joined local and regional job markets. Each year, the center serves hundreds of Palestine refugee students from refugee camps across the West Bank, many of whom face difficult socio-economic conditions and the Agency provides them with free education,” said UNRWA.
“UNRWA urges the international community to immediately intervene to safeguard the inviolability of this and other UN facilities in East Jerusalem, and to ensure the continuation of critical UNRWA services to Palestine Refugee communities,” they added.
Ben-Gvir Minister of National Security of Israel posted a photo of the campus on X and said "UNRWA in our hands."
אונר״א בידינוpic.twitter.com/2smQ0he8Fn
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) August 25, 2026
In January, UNRWA’s headquarters in East Jerusalem were demolished by the Israeli military following a law banning the agency’s operations in Israel and East Jerusalem.
Roland Friedrich, director of UN Relief and Works Agency affairs in the West Bank, said this is a blatant violation of international law.
The United Nations views East Jerusalem as part of the occupied Palestinian territory and falls under the jurisdiction of the West Bank. However, Israeli authorities claim it as a part of Israel to justify their military campaigns there.
In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed legislation to ban UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.
“The Israeli parliament issued two laws a bit more than a year and a half ago. Both laws are in violation of international law. One of them is a ban on UNRWA activity within the sovereign territory of the state of Israel, which from Israel’s perspective includes occupied East Jerusalem,” explained Friedrich.
