East jerusalem: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reported that its Qalandiya Training Centre has been raided by Israeli forces five times since the beginning of 2026. This facility, which remains UNRWA's last operational establishment in the occupied East Jerusalem, serves as a crucial educational hub for Palestinian refugee students.

According to Anadolu Agency, Abeer Ismail, the Acting Head of UNRWA's Media Office in the occupied West Bank, emphasized that the center has not been subject to any official orders for closure, confiscation, or demolition by Israeli authorities. Despite this, the raids have continued, disrupting the center's operations. Ismail highlighted the significance of the facility as UN property, protected under the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, and called for international intervention to prevent its closure.

The law banning UNRWA's activities in Jerusalem, which came into effect over a year ago, has already led to the closure of the agency's headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, its six schools in East Jerusalem, and its clinics in the Shuafat refugee camp and the Old City. Despite these setbacks, the Qalandiya Training Centre remains operational, offering vocational and summer training courses to students.

Communication between UNRWA and Israeli authorities has been severed, but the agency continues to coordinate with UN bodies and human rights organizations. Ismail noted the symbolic significance of the center, which was established in the early 1950s on land provided by the Jordanian government. The center's closure would not only impact its students but also have political implications, potentially undermining UNRWA's broader efforts in the occupied West Bank.

The Qalandiya Training Centre serves approximately 350 Palestinian refugee students aged 15 to 19 from 19 refugee camps across the occupied West Bank. It provides free education, accommodation, meals, and vocational training. The repeated raids, including one on July 27 that resulted in staff detentions, underscore the ongoing challenges faced by UNRWA in maintaining its operations under new Israeli legislation passed in October 2024, which banned the agency from operating in Israel and prohibited official contact with it.