The official Palestinian news agency (Wafa) reported Tuesday that numerous military forces cordoned off the area, after which bulldozers entered the building and began demolition work.
According to the source, soldiers hoisted the Israeli flag inside the headquarters of the UN institution.
Through his profile on the social network X, the general commissioner of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, pointed out that this is an unprecedented attack and a deliberate violation of international law.
Like all UN member states and countries committed to rule-based order, Israel is obliged to protect and respect the inviolability of the agency’s facilities, he recalled.
He also pointed out that the event follows the approval by Tel Aviv of other measures against UNRWA, including the closure of a health centre and the announcement of a cut in the water and electricity supply to its facilities.
These actions, together with previous attacks and a large-scale disinformation campaign, contradict the October ruling of the International Court of Justice which reaffirmed that Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate the agency’s operations, not to hinder or prevent them. The court also stressed that Tel Aviv has no jurisdiction over East Jerusalem, he said.
There can be no exceptions. This should be a wake-up call. What happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organization or diplomatic mission, whether in the Occupied Palestinian Territory or anywhere else in the world, he added.
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