Jerusalem: Israel's withdrawal from the Qalandiya Training Center in East Jerusalem does not signify an end to its control over the facility or a return of the site to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a Palestinian official stated on Saturday. Omar al-Rajoub, director of the Jerusalem Governorate's media department, emphasized that remnants of Israeli control persist despite the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces evacuated the center on Tuesday, raising the Israeli flag in the courtyard before withdrawing on Friday. This action drew widespread condemnation from both Arab and international communities. Rajoub pointed out that Israeli forces welded shut the center's doors, leaving a small gate accessible, and workers associated with the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality have continued renovation and maintenance work inside the facility.
He further noted that the military's withdrawal does not indicate the end of Israel's effective control over the facility or its return to UNRWA's administration. Surveillance cameras have been installed and figures depicting soldiers remain in some facilities, while municipal work continues.
Rajoub described these actions as indicators of an attempt to establish a new reality inside a UN facility, amid plans to use the site for developing educational and community services. He expressed concerns that these implications extend beyond the Qalandiya center to UNRWA's presence and its role in serving Palestinian refugees.
The center, established in 1952, provides vocational and technical training to hundreds of Palestinian refugees annually. Rajoub stressed that a genuine withdrawal would involve reopening the center and returning it fully to UNRWA's administration, ending municipal work, and removing surveillance devices.
Israeli forces withdrew from the center on Friday afternoon after a four-day raid. The operation followed a visit by representatives of 49 organizations and diplomatic missions accredited to Palestine. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the raid, stating there was 'no place' for UNRWA in Jerusalem or Israel.
UNRWA condemned the Israeli measures targeting the Qalandiya Training Center on August 25, describing the raid and activities inside its buildings as unlawful. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to resuming educational activities at the center.
These developments come amid increasing Israeli pressure on UNRWA. In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed laws restricting the agency's operations, including a ban on activities inside Israel, which took effect in 2025. In October 2025, the International Court of Justice affirmed Israel's obligation to respect the inviolability of UNRWA facilities.
Despite the pressure, the UN General Assembly renewed UNRWA's mandate for another three years in December 2025, allowing it to continue operating until June 2029. UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.