Israeli demolition teams, accompanied by police, have begun tearing down the headquarters of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israel says it owns the land on which the compound stands and accuses Unrwa – the organisation that provides aid, education and healthcare to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza – of being infiltrated by Hamas.
The agency has denied the allegations and says its premises are protected under international conventions.
Israel’s action comes in the wake of a controversial law passed last year which banned Unrwa from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
On Tuesday morning, the demolition crews made quick work of the compound that has stood on this site for decades.
The heavy machines ripped into the corrugated metal roofs and tore down walls, leaving piles of tangled debris in their wake.
Israel said no UN personnel were present on site when its actions began.
Unrwa has been under increasing pressure from the Israeli authorities.
The law, passed in January 2025, severing all state contact with the refugee agency, had already been making itself felt.
