Israel seizes UNRWA training center in East Jerusalem amid international condemnation

Israeli forces seized the UNRWA Qalandia Training Center in East Jerusalem on August 25, 2026, raising the Israeli flag and detaining staff. Ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the raid enforces a 2024 law banning UNRWA over alleged Hamas ties. The Jerusalem Municipality began a NIS 40 million redevelopment of the site. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the entry as an unlawful violation of UN immunity.

UNRWA Kafr Aqab seizure

• ▪Israeli forces seized control of the UNRWA Qalandia Training Center in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr Aqab on August 25, 2026.
• ▪During the August 25, 2026 raid, at least four armored vehicles and over 50 Israeli security personnel entered the UNRWA compound, raised the Israeli flag, and detained or questioned approximately 40 people.
• ▪Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinians protesting the raid near the Qalandia Training Center, wounding a Palestinian boy and injuring at least five Palestinians.

Israeli terrorism allegations

• ▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the seizure of the UNRWA Qalandia Training Center, stating that Israel will not allow an organization whose employees were complicit in the October 7, 2023 massacre to operate in its territory.
• ▪A United Nations investigation found that nine of 19 investigated UNRWA employees may have been involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequently terminated their employment.
• ▪Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led the police operation at the UNRWA facility on August 25, 2026, and celebrated the takeover on social media, declaring that UNRWA has no place in Israel.

Jerusalem municipal redevelopment plans

• ▪The Jerusalem Municipality began NIS 40 million ($13 million) in renovation works on the seized UNRWA site to build a new educational and community complex, including a municipal boys' high school.
• ▪Israeli officials stated the Qalandia Training Center land has been owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937, whereas UNRWA stated the land was provided by the Jordanian government in 1952.

UN international condemnation

• ▪The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli seizure of the UNRWA facility, stating it sought to challenge the status and immunities of the United Nations.
• ▪UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the unlawful entry by Israeli forces into the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre, calling the actions inconsistent with Israel's obligations under the UN Charter.

UNRWA operational restrictions

• ▪Prior to the Qalandia Training Center seizure, Israeli authorities demolished UNRWA's East Jerusalem headquarters in January 2026 and shut down six UNRWA-run schools and three health centers.
• ▪The Israeli Knesset passed legislation in 2024 banning UNRWA from operating in territory under Israeli sovereignty, which took effect in January 2025.

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