The UN agency for “Palestinian refugees", UNRWA, claimed on Sunday that its partially demolished headquarters in eastern Jerusalem had been set on fire.
“After having been stormed and demolished by the Israeli authorities, the UNRWA Headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem has now been set on fire," the agency said in a statement.
Israel’s fire and rescue service confirmed that crews responded to a call at the site early Sunday and were working to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading, while also conducting searches among the structures at the site to ensure that no one was trapped inside. It did not say what caused the blaze and whether the compound was indeed set on fire.
The fire broke out days after Israel seized the compound and demolished it, resulting in criticism from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as well as UNRWA Commissioner‑General Philippe Lazzarini.
The Knesset passed legislation in October 2024 banning UNRWA from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from contacting the agency. The law was amended last month to bar electricity and water from being supplied to UNRWA facilities. Israeli authorities also seized the agency’s eastern Jerusalem offices.
UNRWA has long been criticized for its cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, which has been proven time and time again. That criticism has increased since Israel provided evidence in 2024 that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
Following the Israeli revelations, the UN formed a review group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to look into the Israeli allegations.
The group said in its report that it found neutrality-related issues" in UNRWA but also claimed that Israel had yet to provide evidence for allegations that a significant number of its staff were members of terrorist organizations.
Despite all the evidence showing UNRWA’s deep ties to Hamas, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently ruled that Israel must facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through UN agencies, including UNRWA. That ruling was criticized by Israel as well as by the US.