In a decisive move to dismantle UNRWA’s footprint in Jerusalem, municipal officials, acting under the direct orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shut down a vocational training center in the Qalandia Refugee Camp on Tuesday. The closure, confirmed by the Jerusalem Ministry, marks the first major enforcement action under the newly implemented law banning UNRWA operations in east Jerusalem.
The directive, issued Monday night, followed mounting political pressure spearheaded by Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky, a leading advocate for the UNRWA ban. Malinovsky had threatened to take the matter to the High Court, forcing the government to act on the legislation, which was enacted following shocking revelations of UNRWA’s complicity in Hamas terror activities. Multiple UNRWA employees were found to have participated in the horrific October 7 Hamas massacre, and UNRWA facilities in Gaza had been exploited to conceal weapons and terror tunnel entrances.
🚨 For the first time since the UNRWA law, the Jerusalem Municipality has entered the organization's Qalandiya compound beyond the security wall to confiscate it. The area is said to be state land that UNRWA has controlled since 1948. During the confiscation activity, Arab…
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) February 18, 2025
Violent Resistance and Police Response
As authorities moved in to enforce the closure, tensions flared outside the Qalandia center. According to Israel Police reports, rioters unaffiliated with the facility launched a barrage of stones at officers stationed in the vicinity. Security forces responded with standard riot dispersal techniques, ensuring the safety of personnel on the ground.
Despite the law officially taking effect on January 31, UNRWA continued to operate schools and health centers in defiance of Israeli authority. Tuesday’s enforcement action signals the beginning of a broader effort to expel the organization from east Jerusalem, though officials acknowledge that the full implementation of the law remains an evolving process.
I officially notified members of the Security Council that within 48 hours the State of Israel will end its cooperation with UNRWA. UNRWA must cease its activities in Israel and evacuate all of its facilities in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/GcfZnNajR5
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) January 28, 2025
Dismantling UNRWA’s Stronghold in East Jerusalem
UNRWA has long provided services in east Jerusalem, primarily focusing on education, healthcare, and sanitation, with the bulk of its operations concentrated in the Shuafat Refugee Camp. This camp, though under municipal jurisdiction, remains physically isolated due to the Separation Fence, leaving its residents largely dependent on UNRWA’s external support.
A January statement from the Jerusalem Ministry detailed the scale of UNRWA’s educational operations, revealing that 788 students were enrolled across seven institutions, with 650 of them attending three schools within the camp. As part of the transition, officials assured that affected students would be relocated to alternative schools near their homes, albeit on the other side of the fence. To facilitate this, the municipality pledged to provide transportation, equipment, and infrastructure improvements.
In the medium term, mobile caravan schools will be established within the camp, expected to be operational within eight months. Looking further ahead, a full-fledged educational campus is planned, with an allocated budget of NIS 20 million.
Regarding healthcare, UNRWA previously operated two centers in the region: a general clinic in Shuafat and an infant care facility (“Tipat Chalav”) near Flowers Gate in the Old City. In response to the closures, Israeli authorities have reinforced existing healthcare infrastructure, deploying additional medical personnel both within east Jerusalem and in areas beyond the Separation Fence.
Government Stance: UNRWA’s Presence is a Threat
Jerusalem Minister Meir Porush lauded the crackdown, declaring, “I commend the security forces for shutting down the UNRWA compound in Kafr ‘Aqab as per the Prime Minister’s directive. We must act swiftly and decisively to remove every trace of this terror-supporting body from our capital.”
It’s not just Gaza - these are kids from @UNRWA schools in Jerusalem - which is a safe city.
— Jay Engelmayer (@jengelmayer) November 18, 2023
There’s no excuse why UNRWA lets this continue - there’s no reason why they let terrorists run the educational programs and schools - which proves the entire organization is a sham. pic.twitter.com/RUqd9vPETd
UNRWA’s Outcry and International Condemnation
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini responded with outrage, taking to social media platform X to condemn the closures. “Children and young people in East Jerusalem are being denied their right to education. Today, Israeli forces, accompanied by Jerusalem Municipality personnel, forcefully entered the UNRWA Qalandia Training Centre and ordered its immediate evacuation. At least 350 students and 30 staff were present and impacted. Tear gas and sound bombs were fired,” he claimed.
Lazzarini further stated, “This morning, Israeli police officers and municipal officials also arrived at UNRWA schools to enforce their closure, affecting 250 children across three institutions in East Jerusalem, in addition to the 350 trainees at Qalandia.”
Mr Lazzarini is concerned that the collapse of UNRWA will cause more extremism in the future.
— David Jacobs (@DrJacobsRad) February 16, 2025
Given the efforts that UNRWA has gone to in promoting extremism, it's clear that their absence would be far more beneficial than harmful.
Let's review the current situation:
-19 UNRWA… pic.twitter.com/5DAMh1NgdL
UNRWA’s leadership insists that these measures violate international agreements safeguarding United Nations operations, with Lazzarini declaring, “Children’s access to education must be preserved, and United Nations facilities must be protected and respected at all times, wherever they are.”
The Road Ahead
As Israel pushes forward with its commitment to eliminating UNRWA’s operations in Jerusalem, tensions are expected to remain high. The government’s determination to root out what it perceives as a terror-linked organization clashes with international condemnation and UNRWA’s insistence on its continued legitimacy. With further closures likely on the horizon, the battle over UNRWA’s presence in Israel’s capital is far from over.
