Incident in Sheikh Jarrah
On Monday, December 8, 2025, Israeli police, accompanied by municipal officials, forcibly entered the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The operation involved police motorcycles, trucks, and forklifts. Communications within the facility were reportedly cut, and furniture, IT equipment, and other property were seized. During the raid, the United Nations flag was pulled down and replaced with an Israeli flag.
Conflicting Justifications and Condemnations
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King stated that the raid was carried out due to 'several years of unpaid property taxes,' amounting to 11 million shekels ($3.4 million), and to gather intelligence on who was operating the compound. The Jerusalem municipality described it as a 'debt collection procedure' for municipal occupancy tax. However, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the action as a 'blatant disregard' of Israel's obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises. UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler asserted that the compound remained UN premises and that the agency had no debts to the municipality, citing the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, which Israel ratified.
International Reaction and Broader Context
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres 'strongly condemned the unauthorized entry,' emphasizing that the compound 'remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference.' He urged Israel to uphold its obligations under the UN Charter and international law. This incident follows a period of heightened tension and actions against UNRWA by Israel. The headquarters had been vacated earlier in 2025 after Israel ordered the agency to cease operations and vacate its premises, following months of harassment, including arson attacks in 2024, demonstrations, and anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in October 2024. Israel has accused some UNRWA employees of involvement in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, allegations which UNRWA denies, stating that Israel has not provided evidence for all claims. East Jerusalem is considered occupied territory by the UN and most countries.
6 Comments
Stan Marsh
There's a clear dispute over taxes and immunity, which should ideally be resolved through diplomatic channels. This forceful approach, however, only fuels anti-Israel sentiment and harms humanitarian efforts.
Kyle Broflovski
An absolute disgrace. A blatant violation of UN inviolability and international law.
Eric Cartman
The allegations against UNRWA employees are serious and should be investigated, but unilaterally seizing UN property without clear international consensus risks delegitimizing Israel's actions.
Stan Marsh
This is a strong message: Israel won't tolerate support for terrorism, disguised as aid.
Eric Cartman
Targeting a humanitarian agency like this is utterly shameful. Where's the evidence for their claims?
Raphael
While Israel has legitimate security concerns and tax claims, raiding UN premises and replacing the flag seems like an extreme measure that escalates an already volatile situation.