The Palestinian Presidency called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council after the Qalandia Training Center north of East Jerusalem was seized and Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raided the facility.
The Presidency called on the Security Council to fulfill its legal and political responsibilities and adopt binding resolutions to halt attacks on United Nations premises and institutions in East Jerusalem and Qalandia.
Call for protection of UNRWA facilities in Qalandia
The Palestinian Presidency said that institutions serving Palestinian refugees must be protected under international law. It said that targeting UN premises and institutions in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in East Jerusalem, constituted a serious violation of international law and the inviolability of these institutions.
The statement said Ben-Gvir’s raid on Qalandia was intended to pave the way for the demolition of facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It described the move as a dangerous escalation and said the attacks were part of a systematic policy targeting the Palestinian people, their institutions and their national rights.
Field visit to Qalandia with 28 diplomatic missions
The UNRWA center in Qalandia was evacuated after a field visit to the area by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, attended by 28 diplomatic missions.
The diplomats visited the Qalandia Refugee Camp, UNRWA facilities, the Qalandia Vocational Training Center and the Qalandia Girls’ School. They also inspected areas damaged by Israeli attacks.
The diplomats were briefed on the deteriorating humanitarian and service conditions in the camp and the impact of Israel’s measures on Palestinians and civilian structures.
Ben-Gvir calls decision “historic”
Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israeli forces had moved to remove employees of the UNRWA-owned Qalandia Training Center from the facility. Ben-Gvir described the decision as “historic.”
Ban on UNRWA took effect on January 30, 2025
The Israeli parliament approved legislation in October 2024 banning the agency’s operations in Israel and East Jerusalem over allegations that some UNRWA employees were involved in the events of October 7, 2023.
The ban took effect on January 30, 2025, and UN personnel left East Jerusalem. In January 2026, Israeli forces raided UNRWA’s headquarters in East Jerusalem, seized the compound and demolished the facilities.
The Palestinian Presidency said the end of UNRWA’s operations had adversely affected the lives of approximately 2.5 million refugees living in the Palestinian territories.
