Israel Approves Military Complex on Seized UNRWA Site in East Jerusalem

Israel's cabinet approved plans to construct a military compound on the site of the former UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, drawing swift condemnation from the United Nations and Palestinian groups. The nine-acre facility will house a defense headquarters, an IDF museum, military recruitment offices, and the office of Defense Minister Israel Katz, who called the decision a matter of sovereignty, Zionism, and security.

The compound was seized by Israeli forces in 2024 following legislation that banned UNRWA operations in Israeli-controlled areas, and structures were demolished in January. Israeli authorities accused UNRWA of colluding with Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks, allegations the UN denied at the institutional level. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the destruction as a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law.

Hamas denounced the move as a violation of international law and an effort to consolidate control over Palestinian land and alter Jerusalem's character, urging the international community to impose sanctions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned the decision as an escalation of pressure on international agencies and Palestinian institutions in the city.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres escalated the international response, calling the militarization an unprecedented breach of the inviolability of UN premises and an unlawful exercise of sovereign power in occupied Palestinian territory. He cited the International Court of Justice's affirmation that the move violates international law and urged Israel to rescind the decision and return the compound to the UN immediately. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reiterated that civilians and civilian facilities must be protected at all times.

The controversy unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, including a strike on Jabalya Camp that damaged shelters for 30 families, and significant humanitarian access challenges reported by OCHA.