Jerusalem: The UN on Tuesday condemned the forced entry of Israeli security forces and armored vehicles into the Qalandia Training Center in occupied East Jerusalem. 'The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms today's action by the Israeli authorities, including its security forces, to unlawfully enter and remain in the UNRWA Qalandia Training Center,' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
According to Anadolu Agency, UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep alarm over the incident, noting that it would deprive young Palestinians of vital vocational education at a facility that has provided a pathway to employment for over 70 years. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that more than 50 Israeli personnel and four armored vehicles entered the premises at 10 am local time (0700GMT), while 20 staff members were on-site.
Dujarric said it marked the fifth unauthorized entry by Israeli authorities at the center since May. He said the raid followed other 'unacceptable' breaches of inviolability, including the demolition of the Sheikh Jarrah compound and the cutting of water and electricity to multiple other UN agency facilities.
'These actions against UNRWA premises are wholly unacceptable and inconsistent with Israel's clear obligations under international law,' Dujarric said, citing the UN Charter and a 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion. Guterres urged Israel to immediately cease interference, vacate all affected premises and restore them to the UN without delay, according to Dujarric.
The Qalandia Training Center is the oldest vocational school operated by the agency. Each year, it provides hundreds of students from across the occupied West Bank with a pathway toward economic independence. At the beginning of 2025, Israel closed the agency's main headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem and later announced its seizure by the authorities.
UNRWA was established in 1949 by a UN General Assembly resolution and tasked with providing assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.