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UN condemns breach of UNRWA facilities in East Jerusalem; hundreds of students affected
Summary
The United Nations said Israeli forces and Jerusalem municipality personnel forcibly entered the UNRWA Kalandia training center in East Jerusalem and ordered closures of UNRWA schools, affecting hundreds of students and staff.
The United Nations condemned what it described as forced entry into United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities in East Jerusalem and the ordered closure of several UNRWA schools.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the UN that Israeli forces and personnel from the Jerusalem municipality forcefully entered the UNRWA Kalandia training center and ordered its immediate evacuation; about 350 students and 30 staff were present, the spokesperson said. Tear gas and sound bombs were fired at the site, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said Israeli police officers accompanied by Jerusalem municipality staff went to three UNRWA schools and ordered their closures; those incidents impacted about 250 students across the three schools. The spokesperson said officers went to An-Najah schools (as named in the briefing) and ordered their closure.
The secretary-general “strongly condemns the breach of inviability of United Nations premises in occupied East Jerusalem, including, of course, the UNRWA Kalandia training center and the attempt to forcibly enter 3 UNRWA schools and seek their closure,” the spokesperson said. He called the use of tear gas and sound bombs in educational environments “both unnecessary and unacceptable,” and said the inviolability of United Nations premises must be respected at all times.
The spokesperson added that Israel’s domestic law does not alter its international obligations regarding the privileges and immunities of the UN and its personnel, and reiterated the UN position that such obligations must be respected.
The UN said its colleagues in Jerusalem will meet with Israeli authorities to seek clarification and to protest the incidents, and that it is following the situation closely.
