Israel takes control of UNRWA training centre in East Jerusalem

Israeli security forces entered and took control of a UN-run technical training centre in East Jerusalem on Tuesday (August 25), escalating tensions over the status of United Nations facilities in the occupied West Bank.

More than 50 police and military personnel, accompanied by at least four armoured vehicles, entered the Kalandiya Training Centre, operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), according to reports.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a photograph of the facility on X, declaring that "UNRWA is now in our hands."

UNRWA condemned the move as an unlawful intrusion into a UN-protected facility and called on the international community to intervene immediately to safeguard the integrity of its premises in East Jerusalem.

The Kalandiya centre is one of UNRWA’s oldest technical education facilities and provides vocational training to Palestinians.

The incident comes amid growing Israeli restrictions on UNRWA's operations and reflects the deepening dispute between Israel and the agency over its activities in East Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories.