Jerusalem: Israel on Tuesday announced the seizure of the Qalandia Training Center of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), north of occupied East Jerusalem, prompting the Palestinian presidency to call for urgent UN Security Council action.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the Jerusalem Municipality has started constructing a new educational and community complex in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood. The ministry claimed that the development would benefit thousands of Palestinian residents. It further alleged that the land has been owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and was allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for this project.

The ministry outlined plans for the complex to eventually include schools, a mosque, and sports and health facilities. It accused UNRWA of illegally fencing off the land for decades without any ownership rights. The ministry also referenced a legislative action by the Israeli Knesset in October 2024 that bans UNRWA's activities in Israel.

UNRWA, however, asserts that the Qalandia Training Center is a UN facility under the protection of international law. In response, the Palestinian presidency demanded an urgent UN Security Council meeting to adopt measures to stop Israeli actions against UN locations in East Jerusalem and Qalandia.

The Palestinian presidency, through the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, condemned the actions of Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who reportedly entered UN facilities as part of a plan to demolish UNRWA structures in Qalandia. It called for international protection of these facilities to ensure continued services for Palestinian refugees, citing violations of international law and the immunity of international institutions.

The presidency also appealed to the international community to enforce relevant UN resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334, to prevent Israeli actions that threaten the two-state solution.