UN Secretary‑General António Guterres urged the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately return the UNRWA compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and the agency’s health center in occupied Jerusalem, calling for uninterrupted access to electricity and water for all UNRWA facilities in the city.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Guterres said Israel must ensure that UNRWA’s operations in Jerusalem can continue without obstruction.
He condemned the Israeli authorities’ unlawful entry on January 12 into a UN‑run health center in occupied East Jerusalem and the subsequent order to shut it down temporarily.
The center provides daily primary healthcare to hundreds of Palestinian refugees and is, for many, their only point of access to essential medical services.
The statement noted that the incident followed Israel’s seizure of the UNRWA compound in Sheikh Jarrah and the passage of legislation in the Israeli Knesset aimed at halting the agency’s work within what Israel defines as its state territory.
Guterres had already conveyed his deep concern to the Israeli prime minister on January 8 and formally notified both the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council.
He also expressed alarm over warnings that service providers may soon cut electricity and water to several UNRWA facilities in occupied East Jerusalem.
According to the statement, the Secretary‑General “deeply regrets” that Israeli authorities continue to take steps that violate their obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
Such actions, he stressed, undermine the inviolability of UN premises and obstruct the General Assembly’s mandate for UNRWA’s continued work in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The statement concluded by recalling the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed that any executive, administrative, judicial, or legislative action targeting UN property or assets is prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
