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The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) has criticised a suspected arson attack on its headquarters in occupied Jerusalem, less than a week after Israel demolished it.
According to reports in Israeli media, eight firefighting teams were dispatched to the location of the Unrwa compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood overnight to put out the blaze.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Unrwa's commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, reacted to the fire in a post on X, saying: "There are no limits to the defiance of the United Nations & international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
"Allowing this unprecedented destruction is the latest attack on the UN in the ongoing attempt to dismantle the status of Palestine Refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory & erase their history," he added.
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newslettersHe stressed that the refugee status of Palestinians should be settled through a "genuine political solution, not criminal acts".
The recent fire follows the Israeli destruction of the UN headquarters on Tuesday, in what Lazzarini has described as a "barbaric new era".
Led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Israeli forces raided the complex and bulldozed buildings.
UN threatens legal actionThe compound was seized last year after Israel passed a law banning Unrwa. The agency is the primary source of humanitarian support for an estimated 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in occupied Palestine and neighbouring countries.
This includes the provision of basic services such as education, food, medical care and the distribution of fuel. Its closure could lead to the collapse of the primary lifeline for Palestinians.
Israel’s demolition of Unrwa HQ ‘blatant violation of international law’
Read More »Israel's government has long been hostile towards Unrwa, partially because it upholds the refugee status of Palestinians who were expelled from their homes in the 1948 Nakba and their descendants.
As such, the agency has long been vilified by the Israeli authorities. More than 380 Unrwa employees have been killed by Israel during its genocide in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly warned Israel that its actions targeting Unrwa constitute violations of the UN’s legal protections.
In a letter to the president of the General Assembly dated 8 January, seen by Middle East Eye, Guterres hinted at the possibility of bringing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice as a result of its alleged breach of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
He said Israel’s entry into the Unrwa compound on 8 December, and its earlier removal of the UN flag, was “a clear violation” of Israel’s obligations under the convention, affirming that the Sheikh Jarrah compound “is and remains premises of the United Nations” and is therefore “inviolable and immune from any form of interference”.