Israeli Forces Raid and Seize UNRWA Vocational Training Center in East Jerusalem; Guterres Condemns 'Unauthorized Incursion'

On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, Israeli police and military forces raided the UNRWA-run Qalandiya Training Centre, located between the Kafr Aqab neighborhood and the Qalandiya refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem, and forcibly expelled all UNRWA staff, telling them not to return. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the operation and said 'there is no place for the agency in Jerusalem and Israel.' Five Palestinians were injured during the raid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel 'will not allow an organization whose employees were involved in terrorism and in the October 7 massacre to operate on its territory, and will take action against it using every means at its disposal.' UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the raid, with UN officials stating that UN premises are 'inviolable and immune from any form of interference'; UNRWA called it an 'unauthorised and deeply concerning incursion.' Israeli officials said the land had belonged to the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and announced plans to convert the facility, which trained roughly 340 Palestinians a year, into a municipal educational complex; human rights lawyer Mohammad Dahleh called the seizure a violation of international law citing the ICJ's December 2025 advisory opinion.