Israel's seizure of Unrwa training college in East Jerusalem condemned

Israeli security forces have seized and closed a training college run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), the last of its facilities that was still operating in occupied East Jerusalem.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the incursion of the Qalandia Training Centre, the latest move to threaten Unrwa after Israel passed laws against it.

His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said that under international law, all UN premises "are inviolable and immune from any form of interference."

Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, joined the large raid on Tuesday and released a video of himself in the chair of the director of the Unrwa institute.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had given the directive for the evacuation of the Unrwa compound, accusing the agency of involvement in the deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which it strongly denies.

The Qalandia Training Centre, which was set up in 1952, trained some 340 Palestinians a year in valuable vocational skills including carpentry, car mechanics and plumbing.

Although the site is in East Jerusalem, its location between Qalandia and Kfar Aqab is behind Israel's separation barrier, which made it accessible to young people from refugee camps across the West Bank.

Staff have been expelled from the college. The Israeli authorities say equipment is being removed from the site, and they intend to turn part of it into a school.

In a statement, Unrwa said it "unequivocally condemns this unauthorised and deeply concerning incursion into the Qalandia Training Centre".

"The entry of armed security forces into a United Nations facility, without the authorisation or consent of the United Nations, is unacceptable."

Israeli legislation, which came into force last year, banned Unrwa from carrying out missions or operating within what Israel deemed to be its territory. This includes East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War and later annexed in a move that is not recognised by most countries.

All Israeli state authorities were also banned from having contact with Unrwa.

Closure orders were issued last year for six Unrwa schools in East Jerusalem, ending in-person teaching for some 800 Palestinian children.

Following the raid on Qalandia Training College, the UN's spokesman said: "The secretary general is greatly alarmed at this development, as it will deprive young people of the vocational education they were receiving."

Israel's security minister made a point of publicising the action, taking a TV crew from pro-government Channel 14 with him for the raid.

"Thank God, on my shift there is no Unrwa, there is no management, they will not be here," Ben-Gvir said in his video at the college.

Moves against Unrwa are broadly popular in Israel and the prime minister put out a statement highlighting his responsibility.

"In accordance with my instructions and in furtherance of the law we passed, the evacuation of the Unrwa compound in Kafr Aqab, Jerusalem, began today," Netanyahu said.

"The State of Israel will not allow an organisation whose employees were involved in terrorism and the October 7 massacre to operate on its territory and will use all means necessary to act against it," he added.

Israeli intelligence claimed that at least 19 Unrwa employees took part in the 7 October cross-border attack on southern Israel, which killed some 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. A UN investigation found that in nine cases the evidence indicated possible involvement, so their contracts were terminated. It found insufficient or no evidence to support claims in the other cases.

Israel further alleged that 10 per cent of Unrwa's Gaza employees had active links to Palestinian armed groups and that Unrwa facilities were used for Hamas military purposes. Unrwa says it has never been given information or evidence from the Israeli authorities about the former allegation and that it has systematically condemned any violations of UN premises which violate their neutrality.

The Palestinian Authority's ministry of foreign affairs called on the international community to "take immediate and effective measures" to protect the college and "ensure the return of its personnel and prevent Israel from turning this assault into a permanent fait accompli".

Unrwa was first set up to support Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their land in fighting before and after the state of Israel was created in 1948.

Many Palestinians see Israeli attacks on the agency as an attempt to dispense with the issue of Palestinian refugees and their "right to return" to their historic homes and property, which is a core issue in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.