United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres has condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli police invasion of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) compound in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the act as a grave violation of international law and the inviolability of United Nations premises.
In a statement issued Monday evening, Guterres declared: “I strongly condemn today’s unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA, located in occupied East Jerusalem, by Israeli authorities. This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference.”
“Today in the early morning, Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem. Police motorcycles, as well as trucks & forklifts, were brought in & all communications were cut. Furniture, IT equipment & other property was… pic.twitter.com/1DiKju2DMR
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 8, 2025
The Secretary‑General emphasized that any executive, administrative, judicial, or legislative measures targeting UN property or assets are strictly prohibited under international conventions, including the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
He stressed that Israel, as a UN member state, is legally bound to respect the immunity of UN facilities and refrain from actions that undermine their status.
The incident occurred on December 8, 2025, when Israeli police, accompanied by municipal officials, broke into the compound in Sheikh Jarrah. Eyewitnesses said Israeli forces drove motorcycles, trucks, and forklifts into the compound, severed all communications, confiscated furniture and computer equipment, and removed the UN flag, replacing it with an Israeli one.
UNRWA Commissioner‑General Philippe Lazzarini described the attack as an unprecedented assault on the agency’s facilities, noting that the compound had already been vacated earlier this year following legislation banning UNRWA’s activities in Israel.
Israeli authorities claimed the action was part of a debt‑collection procedure related to unpaid property taxes amounting to approximately 11 million shekels. The United Nations rejected this justification, reiterating that UN premises are exempt from such measures under binding international agreements.
“I urge Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to restore, preserve and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises, in line with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international law, including those concerning privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” Guterres said.
The invasion of the UNRWA compound comes amid escalating tensions in East Jerusalem and the wider occupied West Bank, where illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers have intensified attacks against Palestinian communities, and Israeli authorities have expanded measures targeting humanitarian agencies.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that such actions not only undermine international law but also obstruct the delivery of essential services to Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA for education, health care, and social support.
