Israeli forces raid UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem

What the report says

Israeli forces raided and took control of UNRWA’s Qalandiya Training Centre in Kafr Aqab, in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Al Jazeera. The operation came after troops closed a nearby checkpoint, deployed heavily around the area, and ordered UNRWA staff to leave the site and not return.

Al Jazeera reported that far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was present and described the move as an “operation to evacuate the building.” Israeli authorities later said the Jerusalem Municipality had begun converting the property into a new educational and community complex, with plans that could include schools, a mosque, sports grounds and health centres for Palestinian residents in Kafr Aqab. Officials also argued that UNRWA had no legal ownership of the site and cited Israeli legislation passed in October 2024 restricting the agency’s work in Israel.

UNRWA rejected those claims, saying the training centre is a UN facility protected under international law. Al Jazeera said the centre serves thousands of Palestinian refugees, and local reporting cited a wider impact on around 16,000 people who use its services. The takeover is the latest flashpoint in a broader campaign by Israeli authorities against UNRWA’s presence in East Jerusalem, after an earlier raid on the agency’s headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah.