UNRWA Advisory Committee condemns seizure of agency facilities

Members of the UNRWA Advisory Committee, including the European Union, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, have issued a joint statement renewing their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The group strongly condemned the illegal entry into the agency’s Qalandia training center and the seizure of its facilities in East Jerusalem. The statement emphasized that United Nations premises are protected under international law through the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and must be respected.

The committee called on Israel to fulfill its obligations and immediately cease all forms of interference with UNRWA’s activities and operations. This follows reports that Israeli forces evacuated the Qalandia vocational training institute in Kafr Aqab and seized the complex.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the statement, calling for it to serve as a basis for broader international action to hold Israel accountable for violations against UN facilities and personnel.