Eyewitnesses said that Israeli bulldozers stormed the agency's headquarters and began demolishing mobile and existing buildings. They added that Israeli occupation forces raised the Israeli flag over the compound, replacing the UN flag. The witnesses also stated that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the site during the operation.
In a related context, the deputy mayor of Israeli Jerusalem, Aryeh King, said in a post on the X platform: "I promised that we would expel the Nazi enemy from Jerusalem (...) Now what we were waiting for is happening: UNRWA is being expelled from Jerusalem."
For its part, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that “the Israel Land Authority seized the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem following the passage of a law prohibiting the agency’s activities,” saying that the site “is now under state control and will be redeveloped for public use.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry had previously announced the takeover of the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem, claiming that the compound "does not enjoy any immunity."
This comes amid escalating Israeli measures against the agency, as the Knesset approved in October 2024 a ban on UNRWA’s activities in Israel, alleging the involvement of some of its employees in the events of October 7, 2023, which the United Nations denied, affirming the agency’s neutrality.
The Israeli Knesset also passed a law at the end of 2025 to cut off electricity and water to its offices, amid widespread international condemnation and criticism.
