UNRWA: Israel taking over agency buildings in Shuafat; Jerusalem Municipality: Properties privately owned

Roland Friedrich, the West Bank director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), has issued a statement asserting that Israel is taking over buildings he says belong to the agency in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem — a charge the Jerusalem Municipality denies.

According to the UNRWA statement posted last week: “Personnel associated with the Jerusalem Municipality have in recent days entered UNRWA facilities without authorization, including the school compound, health center, and community services office.”

Friedrich claims that the premises were forcibly entered by breaking locks, and that contractors working on behalf of the municipality have begun carrying out work at the sites, which he says violates international law protecting UNRWA property.

In late 2024, Israel passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem. Following the legislation, Israel shut down UNRWA schools in the Shuafat refugee camp and other parts of East Jerusalem, leaving several hundred students without educational institutions.

The Jerusalem Municipality rejects the allegations, telling The Times of Israel that “these are not UNRWA properties, but privately owned properties for which the municipality has signed a usage agreement. According to the owners of these properties, UNRWA itself unlawfully took control of them and did not pay [rent] during this period. The municipality intends to open educational institutions at the site for the benefit of residents of the surrounding neighborhoods.”