Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA headquarters, forcibly lowering the United Nations flag

Israeli forces stormed the headquarters of the UN relief agency UNRWA in East Jerusalem, forcibly removing the UN flag. The occupying Israeli forces raided the central office of the agency, which is active in UN aid activities in Palestine, cutting off all communication resources to hide the operation from the world.

After the raid, the Israeli army removed the UN flag from the building and also hoisted the Israeli flag. According to Reuters, on Monday, Israeli authorities entered the offices of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem and hoisted the Israeli flag during the raid. Israeli authorities claimed the action was taken due to non-payment of taxes.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated on his social media platform that as a UN member state, Israel is responsible for respecting and ensuring the protection of the office, which falls under UN jurisdiction. It is clear that Israel has long accused the UN Relief and Works Agency of being biased, and the agency has not used the building since the start of the year, as Israel has ordered it to vacate all locations and halt its activities.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the raid, saying "the compound remains UN property and is exempt from any form of interference, I urge Israel to take all necessary measures to restore, safeguard, and maintain the inviolability of the UNRWA premises and to refrain from any further action."

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X that Israel's move could set a dangerous precedent wherever the UN is present in the world. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem municipality said that tax authorities raided the UNRWA compound due to unpaid property tax of 10.1 million shekels ($3.4 million), and warnings were issued before the raid and all necessary procedures were followed.

The municipality told Reuters that it was a heavy debt that needed to be collected, and numerous requests, warnings, and countless opportunities for settlement were provided but not responded to. However, UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said the agency does not owe any debt to the municipality.