Settlers storm UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem and demand its occupation.

Settlers stormed the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, raising slogans calling for its "control and occupation."

The extremist intruders were led by Knesset member Julia Malinovsky from the right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu, who linked her raid to the anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem, according to the Hebrew calendar.

In this regard, the Jerusalem Governorate stated in a press release that this incursion constitutes an aggressive and provocative step, a serious violation of international law and UN resolutions, and a direct targeting of UN institutions operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The governorate added that this barbaric behavior demonstrates the extent of the colonial encroachment supported by the occupation government, which targets everything related to the Palestinian presence and international legitimacy, including United Nations institutions working to provide humanitarian services to Palestinian refugees. This constitutes a blatant challenge to international legitimacy and a consecration of the policy of displacement and ethnic cleansing in the city of Jerusalem.

She emphasized that this attack falls within a broader context of systematic attacks on UNRWA institutions, aimed at liquidating it and erasing the refugee issue, which is considered a fundamental pillar of Palestinian national rights, foremost among which is the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194.

The governorate held the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for this serious attack and its potential repercussions. It called on the United Nations and the international community, particularly the UN Secretary-General and the UNRWA Commissioner-General, to take immediate action to provide protection for UNRWA headquarters and staff and ensure its ability to carry out its duties without threat or interference.

The Jerusalem Governorate reiterated its unwavering support for the steadfastness of Palestinian refugees and its rejection of all attempts to liquidate their cause, affirming that Jerusalem will remain Palestinian and Arab, resistant to Judaization and exclusion projects. It also emphasized that the attack on UNRWA is an attack on international law, the role of the United Nations, and the inherent Palestinian right to this land.

It is noteworthy that the occupation authorities announced on October 10, 2024, the seizure of the land on which the UNRWA headquarters is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, and the transformation of the site into a colonial outpost comprising 1,440 colonial units.

UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah is considered the agency's main headquarters.

The occupation authorities had demanded that UNRWA vacate its headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, on the grounds that it had "used the land without the approval of the Israel Land Authority." The authorities had also fined the agency and forced it to pay tens of millions of shekels in back rent for the years it had used the property. The occupation government's decision to ban UNRWA operations in East Jerusalem went into effect on January 30.