ISTANBUL

The Arab League on Tuesday denounced an Israeli raid on the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that the raid reflects continued efforts to erode UNRWA’s presence and functions in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Gamal Roshdy, the secretary-general’s spokesperson, said the Israeli claims against the UN agency “lack any legal or logical foundation,” stressing that the raid “forms part of a systematic and sustained effort to terminate UNRWA’s presence and operations.”

He called on the international community “to intervene in an effective and decisive manner to bring an end to this campaign targeting the Agency.”

UNRWA provides “vital health, education, and employment services to millions of Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation,” he added.

According to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem on Monday and pulled down the UN flag and raised the Israeli flag on the site.

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their land.

The UN agency has been facing severe financial difficulties since Israel barred it from operating on its soil and launched a defamation campaign claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. UNRWA personnel were forced to vacate the compound at the beginning of this year.