From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
UN considers response to Israeli move to build military compound on UNRWA site
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
The United Nations is considering how to respond to Israel’s announcement that it will build a military complex on the former headquarters of the UN relief agency for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, an official says.
On Sunday, the government approved plans to establish a new IDF museum, enlistment office and an office for the defense minister at the site of UNRWA’s former headquarters near Ammunition Hill in East Jerusalem.
“The matter is currently under consideration at the level of the legal council, the highest legal authority of the United Nations in New York,” UNRWA Deputy Commissioner General Natalie Boucly tells The Associated Press during a visit to Syria.
“These are UN premises and, at a minimum, this is a breach of the 1946 UN Convention on privileges and immunities,” she says.
Israel began demolishing UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters in January, following years of legislative measures against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, which Israel has long accused of colluding with Hamas and participating in terror activities, including the October 7, 2023, attacks.
The Defense Ministry signed an agreement with the Jerusalem municipality in December to establish new defense headquarters in the capital and relocate the military’s colleges to the city, among other moves.
The Times of Israel Community.