Israel begins demolishing UNRWA complex in occupied Jerusalem

Ramallah, Jan 20 (Prensa Latina) Israel began on Tuesday demolishing structures within the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) complex in the occupied East Jerusalem, despite international criticism.

January 20, 2026
10:11

Wafa informed that several military forces cordoned off the area, after which bulldozers entered the building and began demolishing structures.

The news agency stated that soldiers raised the Israeli flag inside the UN agency’s headquarters.

Israel began an offensive against UNRWA in 2014, when it passed two laws prohibiting the agency from any activity in the country and the occupied Palestinian territories, sparking a wave of global condemnation.

UNRWA has provided, for decades, education, healthcare, and aid to millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Israel accuses the agency of allegedly employing Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip who participated in the October 7, 2013, strike on the country, although subsequent UN investigations refuted these claims.

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