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Israeli forces raid and seize UNRWA training center in East Jerusalem

Authorities forcibly evicted staff from the Kafr Aqab facility, citing 2024 legislation banning the UN agency's operations.

Updated Aug 25, 2026 · 13:49 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Israeli forces raided and seized the UNRWA Qalandiya Training Centre in Kafr Aqab, expelling staff and barring their return.
  • The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced plans to convert the property into a municipal community and educational complex for local Palestinian residents.
  • UNRWA and human rights experts condemned the action, maintaining that the site is a United Nations facility protected under international law.
  • The facility had provided educational and vocational services to 16,000 Palestinian refugees from the Qalandiya camp and the broader West Bank.

Key facts

  • Israeli military forces closed the nearby Qalandiya checkpoint and raided the UNRWA Qalandiya Training Centre in Kafr Aqab on Tuesday, expelling employees and evacuating the complex.[Al Jazeera]
  • Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the raid and stated that the operation was intended to clear the building, asserting UNRWA has no place in Jerusalem or Israel.[Al Jazeera]
  • The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited October 2024 Knesset legislation banning UNRWA activities in Israel as justification for the takeover.[Al Jazeera]
  • Israeli officials claimed the land has belonged to the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and was allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality, alleging UNRWA lacked legal ownership rights.[Al Jazeera]
  • UNRWA rejected the Israeli claims, stating that the training center is a UN facility protected by international law.[Al Jazeera]
  • The Qalandiya Training Centre previously served 16,000 Palestinian refugees from the nearby refugee camp and across the occupied West Bank.[Al Jazeera]

What remains uncertain

  • The legal ownership status of the property remains disputed between Israeli authorities citing 1937 land records and UNRWA claiming international immunity as a UN facility.[Al Jazeera]

Sources