UNRWA Warns of Imminent Exit from East Jerusalem Amidst Israeli Actions

UNRWA Presence in East Jerusalem Under Threat

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has issued a stark warning regarding the potential end of its decades-long operations in East Jerusalem. This comes in response to recent actions by Israel, including the forcible entry into an UNRWA health center and threats to discontinue essential utility services to its facilities.

On January 12, 2026, Israeli forces reportedly entered the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre, demanding the removal of UN signs. Following this incursion, a temporary closure order was issued against the health center for 30 days, raising concerns that it may not reopen. Simultaneously, UNRWA has received notifications from service providers indicating that electricity and water supplies to several of its facilities across East Jerusalem, including schools and other health centers, are slated to be cut off.

International Condemnation and Legislative Context

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned these actions, describing them as an 'unlawful entry' into a United Nations property and a violation of international law and UN privileges. Roland Friedrich, UNRWA's Director in the West Bank, and Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, have both voiced serious concerns, with Lazzarini calling the events 'a new step in a pattern of deliberate disregard for international law and the United Nations.'

These developments follow amendments introduced in December 2025 to anti-UNRWA legislation by the Israeli Knesset. These amendments build upon laws adopted in October 2024 that aimed to ban UNRWA's operations within Israel and allow for the cessation of utility provisions to its facilities. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in October 2025 that Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate UNRWA's relief operations.

Decades of Service at Risk

UNRWA was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to Palestine refugees. For over 70 years, the agency has been a crucial provider of essential services, including education, healthcare, and social services, to millions of Palestine refugees across its five fields of operation, which include Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The potential cessation of its services in East Jerusalem would significantly impact hundreds of Palestine refugee patients who rely on the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre for primary healthcare.

While Israel has cited allegations of some UNRWA employees' involvement in the October 7, 2023, events as a basis for its actions, the agency has denied these claims, and a UN investigation found varying degrees of evidence. The UN maintains that UNRWA adheres to strict neutrality standards.