Israel’s demolition of Unrwa HQ ‘blatant violation of international law’

Israel’s demolition of a UN headquarters in Jerusalem has been condemned by European governments and described as “a blatant violation” of binding international legal obligations by a lawyer who represented Palestine before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, said he was “appalled” by the demolition, and denounced it as “another attack on [the UN's] vital work for Palestinians”. 

“Israel must abide by its obligations to protect and respect UN premises,” he said.

Meanwhile, Belgium's foreign minister, Maxime Brevot, said the demolition was "a flagrant violation of international law and UN immunities".

The EU's commissioner for equality, Hadja Lahbib, has also condemned the demolition. "The EU is a firm supporter of the United Nations and the multilateral and rules-based international order of which Unrwa is a part," she said.

Led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Israeli forces raided the compound of the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, in occupied East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood on Tuesday and raised Israeli flags over the main building.

Ben Gvir was accompanied by deputy mayor of Jerusalem Aryeh King, who said: “God willing, we will expel, kill, eliminate and destroy all Unrwa personnel.”

The compound was seized last year after Israel passed a law banning Unrwa. The agency is the primary source of humanitarian support for an estimated 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in occupied Palestine and neighbouring countries.

This includes the provision of basic services such as education, food, medical care and the distribution of fuel. Its closure could lead to the collapse of the primary lifeline for Palestinians. 

As a constant reminder of Palestinians' refugee status, Unrwa has long been villified by the Israeli authorities. More than 380 Unrwa employees have been killed by Israel during its genocide in Gaza.

'This is but the latest blatant violation of Israel’s obligations both as an occupying power and as a member of the United Nations'

- Ardi Imseis, ICJ lawyer

Ardi Imseis, who last year served as Palestine's lawyer at the ICJ during a case about the ban on Unrwa, said the demolition directly contravenes the court's advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations towards the UN and its entities operating in occupied Palestine.

The court held that Israel is required to ensure full respect for the inviolability of UN premises, including those of Unrwa, to facilitate relief schemes for Palestinians by all means at its disposal, and to cooperate in good faith with the UN.

“This is but the latest blatant violation of Israel’s obligations both as an occupying power and as a member of the United Nations,” Imseis told Middle East Eye. 

"It is a key part of its continued and systematic policy of destruction of the Palestinian people, as such, in the occupied Palestinian territories."

Unrwa spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said Tuesday's operation was the “latest low” in an escalating campaign to dismantle the agency’s presence in East Jerusalem.

“It’s shocking - the absolute, deliberate, unabashed defiance of international law by this action yesterday,” he told MEE.

He described the demolition as part of a strategy built on “mis- and disinformation” intended to delegitimise the agency and create the political space for its removal.

“This has been accompanied by lies basically about entitlement to do this, that somehow this is in conformity with the law,” he said.

"Whether it's disinformation or actual actions, as we saw yesterday against Unrwa, the people who suffer from attempts to dismantle the agency are the Palestinian refugees that Unrwa is mandated by the international community to support."

Israel has already forced the closure of the agency’s Old City clinic and signalled it may cut electricity and water to remaining installations in East Jerusalem, including the vital Shuafat camp clinic, which serves some of the city’s poorest residents.

Fowler said the demolition will not immediately halt Unrwa’s operations because the agency had already been forced out of the Sheikh Jarrah compound a year earlier and shifted its work to offices in Ramallah and elsewhere. But he warned that the wider consequences are significant.

"It’s an unprecedented attack on a United Nations agency and on international law. It creates the environment for greater risk for impacting our operations down the line," he said.

Fowler warned that the Qalandia Training Centre, listed for expropriation, may be next. The centre has 350 students enrolled in technical and vocational education.

“There is a huge risk there,” he said.

The demolition comes as Israel continues to prevent Unrwa from bringing aid into Gaza, a ban in place since March 2025.

Despite this, the agency continues operating with around 12,000 local staff providing education, healthcare, sanitation and other essential services, Fowler said.

UN threatens legal action

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly warned Israel that its actions targeting Unrwa constitute violations of the UN’s legal protections.

In a letter to the president of the General Assembly dated 8 January 2026, seen by MEE, Guterres hinted at the possibility of bringing a case against Israel at the ICJ as a result of its alleged breach of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

He said Israel’s entry into the Unrwa compound on 8 December 2025, and its earlier removal of the UN flag, was “a clear violation” of Israel’s obligations under the convention, affirming that the Sheikh Jarrah compound “is and remains premises of the United Nations” and is therefore “inviolable and immune from any form of interference”.

'The people who suffer from attempts to dismantle the agency are the Palestinian refugees'

- Jonathan Fowler, Unrwa spokesperson

Israel's government has long been hostile towards Unrwa, partially because it upholds the refugee status of Palestinians who were expelled from their homes in the 1948 Nakba and their descendants. 

In January 2024, Israel accused 12 Unrwa workers of involvement in the 7 October Hamas-led attacks, alleging they had distributed ammunition and assisted in kidnappings of civilians.

A UN review published in April 2024 found no evidence of wrongdoing by Unrwa staff, noting that Israel had neither responded to requests for names and information nor "informed Unrwa of any concrete concerns relating to Unrwa staff since 2011".

In its advisory opinion in October, the ICJ found that Israel has failed to substantiate its claims that a significant number of Unrwa staff were affiliated to Hamas.

It also emphasised its opinion that Unrwa was impartial and indispensable for the provision of relief to Palestinians, as mandated by the UN General Assembly.