Israeli forces seize UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem
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Israeli forces raided and seized the Qalandiya Training Centre, a UNRWA facility in Kafr Aqab, occupied East Jerusalem, on Tuesday. Troops expelled all UNRWA employees and began evacuating the complex, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participating in the raid. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Jerusalem Municipality will convert the site into an educational and community complex.
Key Facts
- Israeli forces closed the Qalandiya checkpoint before raiding the UNRWA training centre in Kafr Aqab on Tuesday.
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the raid and said there is no place for UNRWA in Jerusalem and Israel.
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Jerusalem Municipality will build schools, a mosque, sports grounds, and health centres on the site.
- UNRWA said the centre served 16,000 Palestinian refugees from the Qalandiya camp and across the occupied West Bank.
- The raid follows a similar operation at UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, where part of the building was demolished.
The Raid
Israeli forces raided the Qalandiya Training Centre in Kafr Aqab, occupied East Jerusalem, on Tuesday. Before the raid, troops closed the nearby Qalandiya checkpoint and deployed heavily in surrounding neighbourhoods and the Qalandiya refugee camp. Soldiers forcibly expelled all UNRWA employees from the site and told them not to return. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the raid and praised the operation from the site.
Israeli Justification
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Jerusalem Municipality had already begun work to turn the property into a new educational and community complex. The ministry claimed the project would serve thousands of Palestinian residents in Kafr Aqab, with additional schools, a mosque, sports grounds, and health centres. Israeli officials alleged the site had been owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and was allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality. The ministry cited anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Knesset in October 2024 banning the agency's activities in Israel.
UNRWA Response
UNRWA rejected the Israeli claims, maintaining that the Qalandiya Training Centre is a UN facility protected under international law. Journalist Sarah Abu Alrob, reporting from Ramallah, said the centre provided vital services to 16,000 Palestinian refugees. She noted that a similar operation months ago targeted UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, where part of the building was demolished.
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Israeli forces seize UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem
