BRUSSELS
Belgium on Monday voiced regret over an Israeli raid on a United Nations compound in the occupied East Jerusalem, with foreign minister stressing that UN institutions must be protected.
"I sincerely regret that today, the Israeli police and municipal officials forcibly entered a United Nations compound in East Jerusalem," Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said through US social media company X.
Highlighting that UN buildings are protected under international law, Prevot said the incident comes only days after an overwhelming majority of UN member states voted to renew the mandate of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
"UNRWA's activities are clearly delineated. The UN are not terrorists. They help people. It is our responsibility to encourage them doing it," he added.
Israeli police removed the UN flag from the compound of the UNRWA in East Jerusalem and raised the Israeli flag in its place, the agency's commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said Monday.
The agency headquarters, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, had been vacated earlier this year following an Israeli decision.
The 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 launched a defamation campaign against it, claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
Despite the UNRWA's requests that the Israeli government provide information and evidence to back up the allegations, the agency has received no response. Following Israel's accusations, several key donor nations, including the US, suspended or paused funding.