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UN condemns demolition of UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound, urges Israel to restore premises
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Summary
The United Nations condemned the demolition of the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound as a breach of UN premises' inviolability, urged Israel to return and restore the site, and said the agency will evaluate legal and diplomatic steps while warning that UN facilities and staff must be protected.
The United Nations on Thursday condemned the demolition of the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound in East Jerusalem and urged Israeli authorities to "return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay," a UN spokesperson read from the secretary-general's statement.
The statement, read by spokesperson Farhan, said the compound "remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference" under the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. "The secretary general condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli authority's actions to demolish the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound," Farhan said.
Reporters pressed the UN on whether Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' claim that the compound "has already ceased operation" and was transferred to Israeli jurisdiction is accurate. Farhan replied, "That's not true. It is simply not true," and said UNRWA leased the compound from Jordan in 1952 and has remained in exclusive possession. He additionally referenced determinations by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly about the legal status of occupation.
On whether the UN will seek compensation or pursue a case at the International Court of Justice, Farhan said the organization is "evaluating" possible next steps and that condemnation is a strong action, while the UN will continue to remind Israel of its legal obligations. He declined to commit to a specific legal filing while saying the matter is under review.
Reporters also asked whether the loss of the facility affected aid distribution or whether aid had been seized. Farhan said the bulldozed compound "was not a warehouse," staff had been working outside the building in recent weeks because of security threats, and there was no indication that aid had been diverted. He emphasized that UNRWA plays a large outreach role in Gaza and that attacks on UNRWA are attacks on the United Nations.
The briefing included questions that accused UNRWA leadership of recent internal cuts in hours and pay; Farhan said those measures reflected severe funding shortfalls and were taken to preserve the agency's core functionality rather than to harm staff.
The UN concluded the exchange by appealing to member states to treat destruction of UN premises and threats to UN staff as unacceptable and to support UN efforts to safeguard personnel and property.
