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Israeli security forces have raided and shut down the Qalandia Training Centre, a vocational college run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), eliminating the organization's final active facility in occupied East Jerusalem. The operation on Tuesday drew immediate criticism from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, whose spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stressed that all United Nations premises are protected from interference under international law.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the operation personally, filming himself seated at the institute director's desk alongside a crew from the pro-government Channel 14. "Thank God, on my shift there is no Unrwa, there is no management, they will not be here," he declared in the footage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he had ordered the evacuation of the compound in the Kafr Aqab area, repeating longstanding accusations that Unrwa staff were implicated in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel of 7 October 2023, which killed roughly 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Unrwa has forcefully rejected those claims.
Established in 1952, the centre taught trades such as carpentry, plumbing and vehicle mechanics to about 340 Palestinians annually. Though formally within East Jerusalem, it sits between Qalandia and Kfar Aqab on the far side of Israel's separation barrier, making it reachable for young people from refugee camps throughout the West Bank.
Unrwa said it "unequivocally condemns" what it described as an unauthorised entry by armed personnel into a UN facility, calling such an action unacceptable without the organisation's consent. College staff have been expelled, and Israeli officials say equipment is being cleared out while part of the premises is converted into a school. Guterres's spokesman warned the closure would strip young Palestinians of vital vocational education.
Tuesday's seizure follows legislation that took effect last year prohibiting Unrwa from functioning in territory Israel considers its own, including annexed East Jerusalem, and barring state bodies from any contact with the agency. Six Unrwa schools in the city were also served closure orders, halting classroom instruction for approximately 800 children.
Israeli intelligence has alleged that at least 19 Unrwa employees participated in the October 7 attack and that a tenth of the agency's Gaza workforce had ties to armed groups. A UN inquiry concluded that evidence pointed to possible involvement in nine cases, prompting contract terminations, while finding insufficient or no support for the remaining claims. Unrwa maintains Israel has never shared evidence for its broader allegations.
The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry urged governments worldwide to act swiftly to safeguard the college and secure the return of its personnel. Founded to assist Palestinians displaced during the 1948 war, Unrwa remains central to refugee identity, and many Palestinians view Israeli pressure on the agency as an effort to erase their claim to return to historic homes — one of the conflict's most contested issues.
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