After 74 Years… UNRWA Forced to Leave Its Headquarters in Jerusalem

30th January 2025

4 minutes read

After 74 Years… UNRWA Forced to Leave Its Headquarters in Jerusalem

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) began operating in Jerusalem in 1951, but this long-standing presence is now coming to an end.

By tomorrow morning, Thursday, Israel’s deadline for the UN agency to vacate all its buildings in East Jerusalem, particularly its main headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, will have expired.

Covering 6 dunams (1 dunam = 1,000 square meters), the Sheikh Jarrah headquarters was one of UNRWA’s primary operational centers, overseeing its activities in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and even the Gaza Strip.

Until this Wednesday, hundreds of local employees and dozens of international staff were still working there.

However, over the past few days, both local and foreign staff have cleared out their offices, with no clarity on whether they will be able to return.

Al-Ain News witnessed employees carrying personal belongings they had kept in their offices for years and loading them into their cars.

Large trucks were also seen transporting furniture, computers, and documents to other UN facilities in the West Bank.

A deep sense of sadness was evident among the staff as they prepared to leave the premises. However, they told Al-Ain News that they had received strict instructions from UNRWA’s management not to speak to the media.

In addition to its main compound, UNRWA also operates a clinic in Jerusalem’s Old City and a vocational training school in the northern part of the city, both of which have been shut down until further notice.

A Drastic Israeli Decision

On January 24, Israel sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, demanding that UNRWA vacate all its buildings in occupied East Jerusalem and cease operations there by Thursday.

This decision is based on two laws recently passed by the Israeli Knesset, which ban UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem and cut all ties with the agency, affecting its work in the West Bank and Gaza.

A UNRWA official said that as of Wednesday, visas issued by Israel for the agency’s foreign staff are set to expire.

Speaking anonymously, he added:

“We have asked local staff to remain at home until the situation becomes clearer.”

He continued:

“This Israeli decision also affects our staff in the West Bank and Gaza, but our main concern is the potential Israeli actions against our employees in East Jerusalem.”

UNRWA’s Warnings

UNRWA has emphasized that its properties and assets, including those in East Jerusalem, are protected from searches, confiscations, seizures, and any form of external intervention.

The agency denounced Israeli claims that UNRWA has no right to occupy these buildings as baseless and accused Israeli authorities of promoting an anti-UNRWA narrative that endangers its staff and facilities.

It also stated:

“The Israeli government has explicitly declared that the goal of evicting UNRWA from Sheikh Jarrah is to expand illegal Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.”

During a UN Security Council session yesterday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated:

“The Knesset’s legislation disregards UN resolutions, defies the International Court of Justice, and undermines UNRWA’s mandated role in assisting Palestinian refugees.”

A Settlement on UNRWA’s Ruins?

Israeli right-wing organizations have announced their intention to establish a settlement comprising 1,440 housing units on the ruins of the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah.

In this regard, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, stated:
“In occupied East Jerusalem, the Israeli government has ordered UNRWA to vacate its buildings and cease its operations by Thursday. This will affect nearly 70,000 patients and more than 1,000 students.”

He added: “The Deputy Mayor has called for a public celebration of UNRWA’s expulsion from East Jerusalem in front of the presidential headquarters of the West Bank regional office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Israeli authorities plan to build illegal settlements on this land.”

A U.S. “Green Light”

Meanwhile, the United States has backed Israel’s decision to bar UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem.

Dorothy Shea, Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations, stated yesterday in a speech before the Security Council: “The decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem on January 30 is a sovereign decision by Israel, and the United States supports its implementation.”

She added: “UNRWA is exaggerating the impact of these decisions and implying that it will halt the entire humanitarian response, which is an irresponsible and dangerous move.”

She continued: “We need a thorough discussion on how to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services.”

She concluded: “UNRWA is not the only option for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and it never has been. Many other agencies have the expertise to deliver assistance and have done so in the past.”