The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has submitted an urgent petition to Israel's Supreme Court, seeking an interim order to prevent authorities from continuing actions to evict, seize land, demolish structures, and disconnect infrastructure in areas of Jerusalem where the agency operates.
In the petition, filed by Adalah, UNRWA claims that the new law ending its activities in Israel is causing "unprecedented" harm to essential services provided to residents, including education, healthcare, vocational training, and sanitation services.
The petition also argues that the State's decisions are being implemented despite the pending constitutional petition, and that it will be impossible to restore the sites once buildings are demolished and infrastructure is cut off.
In response to the petition, the Supreme Court has ordered the State to respond by Wednesday at 3:00 PM. A hearing on the main petition, which concerns the cancellation of the entire law or at least limiting its application, is scheduled for Friday, February 2nd.
On Tuesday, the Israel Land Authority, together with law enforcement, began to demolish the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) compound in Jerusalem after a law was passed prohibiting the organization from operating in Israel.
Heavy engineering vehicles were filmed demolishing structures in the Ammunition Hill neighborhood compound.
Later on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Municipality submitted an urgent request to the Ministry of Defense seeking military assistance to evacuate and take possession of UNRWA-owned land in Kafr Aqab.
The request was sent by the municipality’s legal advisor, Attorney Haim Nargesi, to the military secretary of the Minister of Defense, Brig. Gen. Guy Markizeno, against the backdrop of tight timelines set by law and government decisions on the matter that have yet to be implemented in practice.
The municipality noted that it had approached the commander of the Binyamin Brigade to request operational assistance in evacuating the compound, but was informed that due to an operational overload, he was unable to comply with the request at this stage.
The municipality is now seeking the intervention of the Ministry of Defense in order to obtain appropriate military assistance for evacuating the UNRWA compound, which is slated to be converted into an educational campus for the benefit of Kafr Aqab residents.
The request clarified that the municipality bears full responsibility for the evacuation and taking possession of the property, and that it will act in full coordination with the IDF, Israel Police, the Israel Land Authority, and all relevant bodies, while providing ongoing updates on any legal or operational developments.