UNRWA says Israeli raid on East Jerusalem compound violated UN privileges, immunities

ISTANBUL

A senior official from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday condemned Israel’s raid on the agency’s East Jerusalem compound, calling it a “blatant disregard” of Israel’s obligations as a UN member state.

Speaking to Anadolu, UNRWA Senior Communications Manager Jonathan Fowler said Israeli police and municipal officials forced their way into the agency’s premises early Monday morning, cutting all communications.

"They brought in trucks and forklifts, and they cut all communications. They proceeded to remove furniture, IT equipment and other property, and the United Nations flag was pulled down from the roof, and it was replaced with an Israeli flag,” Fowler said.

“This is a blatant disregard of Israel's obligation as a member state of the United Nations," he added.

Fowler stressed that although UNRWA has not operated from the East Jerusalem compound since it was vacated under duress in January 2025, the site remains a UN facility and is therefore protected under international conventions.

“UN premises are inviolable. None of this should happen,” he said, noting that UN officials regained access to the compound and spent the previous day assessing damage and removing what remained inside.

He warned that normalization of such incidents would undermine fundamental principles of international law.

"If this kind of thing becomes normalized, it's basically eroding international law. It's that big," he said.

"And this isn't just about Israel or the Middle East, but beyond, it has global impact," he further added.

Fowler welcomed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ condemnation of the raid and said diplomatic channels are being used to engage Israeli authorities. However, he acknowledged the limits of the UN’s ability to enforce compliance if a state chooses not to respect conventions it has signed.

He added that other governments have also spoken out against the incident, describing the raid as part of a “dangerous new reality” amid widespread disregard for international law since the war in Gaza.

"This has to stop. There has to be a reset, and we have to go back to an understanding that rules are rules, and that we should live in a rules-based world," Fowler said.

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 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.