BY: AMINU SALISU, KANO
At dawn on Tuesday, the sound of heavy machines shattered the calm in east Jerusalem.
Israeli bulldozers rolled into the headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and began pulling down buildings that had stood for decades.
UNRWA officials said Israeli forces entered the compound shortly after 7am, ordered security guards to leave, and allowed bulldozers to move in. The agency described the action as an “unprecedented attack” on a United Nations facility. “This is a serious violation of international law and the protection given to UN premises,” UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said.
He warned that the demolition should worry the entire international community.
Photographs from the scene showed bulldozers crushing structures while an Israeli flag flew above the compound. An AFP photographer also reported that Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, briefly visited the site.
Ben Gvir praised the demolition, calling it a “historic day” for Jerusalem. He accused UNRWA of supporting terrorism and said the action showed Israel’s determination to remove such groups from the city.
Israel has long accused UNRWA of allowing Hamas militants to operate within its organisation. It claims some UNRWA workers were involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to the war in Gaza. However, independent investigations said Israel had not provided clear evidence to support its main accusations.
The Israeli foreign ministry defended the demolitions, saying the land belongs to Israel and that UNRWA no longer had any right to use the compound. Officials said the buildings did not enjoy UN immunity and that the action followed Israeli law.
UN officials strongly disagree. They insist the site remains UN property and should be protected from interference. In December, UNRWA said Israeli authorities had already seized furniture and equipment from the compound and replaced the UN flag with an Israeli one.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned those actions, saying UN premises are inviolable under international law.
A Warning for the Future
UNRWA stopped operating from the east Jerusalem compound in January 2025 after Israel passed a law banning the agency’s activities there. Despite this, the agency continues to work in Gaza and the West Bank.
For UNRWA, the demolition sends a dangerous message. “What happens to us today could happen to any international organisation tomorrow,” Fowler said.
As the dust settled over the demolished buildings, the incident raised serious questions about the safety of humanitarian organisations working in conflict zones and about the future of international law where power and politics collide.
Note: the feature image is AI Generated.