Israeli forces, personally led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, demolished the headquarters of the UNRWA in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Jan. 20. “[This is] a historic day for sovereignty in Jerusalem,” Ben-Gvir declared, reported Middle East Eye. “Today, these terror supporters are being kicked out along with everything they built. This is what will be done to every terror supporter,” he said.
Ben-Gvir was accompanied by far-right Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Aryeh King. “God willing, we will expel, kill, eliminate and destroy all UNRWA personnel,” King said during the demolition.
“A lost moral compass opens a barbaric new era: after Israeli officials compete to take credit for the storming & destruction of a United Nation compound in occupied East Jerusalem, others call for the annihilation of an entire community of UNRWA staff,” UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said on X. “These statements from officials of a Member State cannot be tolerated by the Member States sworn to the UN Charter. These actions must be referred to the highest level & fought against.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the demolition in a statement issued by UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. “The Secretary-General views as wholly unacceptable the continued escalatory actions against UNRWA, which are inconsistent with Israel’s clear obligations under international law, including under the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations,” Haq said. “The Secretary-General urges the government of Israel to immediately cease the demolition of the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound, and to return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay.”
According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian leaders view the demolition not merely as a property dispute but also as a calculated attempt to erase the political rights of refugees. Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative party, told Al Jazeera Arabic that Israel is driven by “absolute stupidity” in believing that destroying buildings will destroy the Palestinian refugees’ right of return. “It reminds them of their criminal past and the ethnic cleansing they carried out in 1948,” Barghouti said.