Eleven countries have protested Destruction of Israel The East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees called UNRWA’s actions “marked as the latest unacceptable step”.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom condemned the demolition as an “unprecedented act” against the UN agency.
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“We call on the government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to stop all demolitions,” he said.
Israel has waged an intense pressure campaign against UNRWA, which provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East, in the heart of the country. A genocidal war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Without concrete evidence, the Israeli government and its allies, including the United States, have accused UNRWA of ties to Hamas — a claim the UN denies.
Israel has used the allegations to try to limit UNRWA’s capacity in Gaza, despite humanitarian leaders noting that the agency is best equipped to deliver food, water, medicine and other critical humanitarian aid to the war-torn enclave.
In late 2024, Israel’s parliament Act passed Preventing UNRWA from working in areas under Israeli control.
Israeli lawmakers approved amendments to strengthen those bans in December last year. slander From UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Last week, UNRWA reported that Israeli forces, overseen by Israeli lawmakers, attacked its East Jerusalem headquarters and began demolishing buildings.
“This is an unprecedented attack on a United Nations agency and its premises,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media.
“Like all UN member states and countries committed to the international rules-based order, Israel has an obligation to protect and respect the inviolability of the UN compound.”
Lazzarini said Israel’s anti-UNRWA move “flies in the face” of the October 2025 deadline. Judgment of the International Court of Justicewhich said Israel was obligated under international law to lift restrictions on the agency’s operations and facilitate its work.
“THe acted through the United Nations UNRWA is an indispensable provider of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip,” the court said in its decision (PDF).
Therefore, it said, “Israel is obliged to agree to and facilitate assistance schemes provided by the United Nations and its agencies, including UNRWA.”
Call for help in Gaza
In a statement on Wednesday, the 11 foreign ministers reiterated their “full support for UNRWA’s indispensable mission” to provide services and humanitarian aid in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
“UNRWA is a service provider that provides healthcare and education to millions of Palestinians across the region, particularly in Gaza, and must be able to operate without restrictions,” he said.
The minister also appealed to Israel Facilitate aid delivery to GazaWhere at least 71,660 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023.
“Despite the increase in aid entering Gaza, the situation remains critical and supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of the population,” the statement said.
As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is obligated under international law to ensure that the needs of the occupied population are met.
The Israeli government also agreed under a US-brokered ceasefire agreementwhich came into force in October, allowing 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to be transported into the Palestinian territories per day. But it has failed to adhere to that principle of agreement.
At least 492 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s health ministry.