Israel has begun demolishing the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem, marking a devastating blow to the Palestinian refugee agency. The Israeli forces entered the compound at dawn on Tuesday, forcing out security guards and then brought in bulldozers to begin razing buildings, despite warnings from UN officials that such an action constitutes a serious breach of international law.
The demolition is the culmination of years of tensions between Israel and UNRWA over allegations of bias against the agency. Israel has accused some UNRWA staff of ties to Hamas, which Israel blames for a 2023 attack on Israeli civilians that killed over 1,200 people. However, UN officials have maintained that no evidence was provided by Israel to support these claims.
In an unprecedented move, the head of UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, condemned the demolition as "an unprecedented attack" against the agency and its staff. The action also marked a significant escalation in Israel's efforts to dismantle the organization, which has been operating in East Jerusalem since 1948 and provides vital services to millions of Palestinians.
The dispute over taxes is believed to have contributed to the Israeli decision to ban UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem. However, UN officials maintain that the agency had no debts to the municipality and that the compound remained part of the UN premises despite Israel's claims.
As bulldozers continue to raze buildings at the East Jerusalem compound, former staff members are speaking out against what they see as an attempt by Israel to erase Palestinian identity and rights. "The destruction today is another message to the world that Israel is the only country that can demolish international law and get away with it," said Hakam Shahwan, a former chief of staff at UNRWA's East Jerusalem headquarters.
With tensions escalating in the region, the international community has largely condemned Israel's actions. The Israeli government claims that the demolition was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law, but critics argue that such an action constitutes a serious breach of human rights norms.
The demolition is the culmination of years of tensions between Israel and UNRWA over allegations of bias against the agency. Israel has accused some UNRWA staff of ties to Hamas, which Israel blames for a 2023 attack on Israeli civilians that killed over 1,200 people. However, UN officials have maintained that no evidence was provided by Israel to support these claims.
In an unprecedented move, the head of UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, condemned the demolition as "an unprecedented attack" against the agency and its staff. The action also marked a significant escalation in Israel's efforts to dismantle the organization, which has been operating in East Jerusalem since 1948 and provides vital services to millions of Palestinians.
The dispute over taxes is believed to have contributed to the Israeli decision to ban UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem. However, UN officials maintain that the agency had no debts to the municipality and that the compound remained part of the UN premises despite Israel's claims.
As bulldozers continue to raze buildings at the East Jerusalem compound, former staff members are speaking out against what they see as an attempt by Israel to erase Palestinian identity and rights. "The destruction today is another message to the world that Israel is the only country that can demolish international law and get away with it," said Hakam Shahwan, a former chief of staff at UNRWA's East Jerusalem headquarters.
With tensions escalating in the region, the international community has largely condemned Israel's actions. The Israeli government claims that the demolition was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law, but critics argue that such an action constitutes a serious breach of human rights norms.
I mean, I get why Israel is trying to exert control over its territory, but demolishing the UNRWA headquarters is just cruel... 
It's like, can't they see that this is gonna push more Palestinians into homelessness and suffering? 
And what really gets me is how they're using it as a pretext to silence criticism. I mean, we all know Israel has its own problems with Hamas, but that doesn't give them the right to target innocent civilians or international organizations. 
It's like they're trying to erase Palestinian identity and rights... that's just not okay, dude 
It's heartbreaking to see the UNRWA headquarters being demolished, especially when you consider the vital services they provide to millions of Palestinians. Israel's actions seem to be a deliberate attempt to erase Palestinian identity and rights, and that's just not okay 
i'm not saying israel's doing this on purpose or anything (i mean i don't think they're evil or anything), but can we please not just take their word for it? let's dig deeper, you know? 
...
. international law is clear - u can't just come in & start wreckin buildings like that. gotta do better 
omg what r they doin?! Israel demolishin the HQ of UNRWA is like a huge red flag 4 the whole world! I mean i know israel has issues w/ Hamas and all, but destroying an entire compound? that's just not right 
. i hope the intl community steps in & makes some noise about dis 
. Israel's actions r bein hailed as a breach of human rights by many & i gotta agree w/ them 
.
millions of Palestinians rely on these services & now their home is being torn down 
Can't wait to see how the international community reacts to this 
Will there be any major consequences for Israel? 
. i mean, what's next? taking away their staffs rights too? 
. it's also kinda sad that it had to come down to this... like, can't we just talk things out instead of resorting to violence? 
. anyway, hope the int'l community keeps on calling out israel for this... it's time someone did 
. the intl community's all over this, condemnIN' israel's actions... and honestly? who can blame 'em? 
it's so not worth it. and the part about them saying no one has debts and the compound is still UN property... umm isn't that a pretty big thing?!?! 
i'm literally shaking with rage right now... this is like, such a huge deal for human rights and international law... 
. The international community needs to take action and speak up for those refugees! 
what about the people who work there? what about the palestinians they're supposed to be helping? 
And all these years of tensions over bias allegations... just a huge excuse to get rid of this agency 
. This is so not cool at all 
it's like the whole world is just sitting back and watching this train wreck happen... where's the accountability? where are the leaders standing up for human rights and dignity?
but seriously, how does one agency get so caught in the crossfire like this? it's heartbreaking to see the impact on innocent people who just want to live their lives...