Jerusalem Governorate: Conversion of UNRWA Headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah into Israeli Military Facilities a Flagrant Violation of International Law

The Jerusalem Governorate considered the approval by the Israeli occupation authorities of a new colonial plan to establish an army museum, a recruitment office, and a headquarters for the "Israeli Ministry of Security" on the ruins of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem, a serious escalation and a flagrant violation of international law, and a blatant infringement of the immunities and privileges of United Nations organizations. The Governorate affirmed, in a statement issued on Sunday, that this aggression constitutes a grave violation of all rules of international law and customs, and a clear violation of Israel's obligations, as the occupying power, under the Fourth Geneva Convention, particularly concerning the protection of public property and ensuring the unhindered work of international humanitarian bodies, in addition to the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The Governorate explained that the new colonial project comes after the occupation authorities, last January, demolished the UNRWA compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, under the direct supervision of the Minister of National Security in the occupation government, Itamar Ben-Gvir, before suspending a seizure order in favor of the so-called "Israel Land Authority," despite the compound being affiliated with the United Nations and enjoying legal immunity that prevents it from being subjected to any executive, administrative, judicial, or legislative procedures. The Governorate clarified that the plan drafted by Israeli Security Minister Yisrael Katz stipulates the allocation of a plot of land measuring approximately (36) dunams to the Israeli Ministry of Security without a tender, claiming that the current recruitment office building in Jerusalem "does not meet the needs of the Israeli army," in a move that reflects a growing Israeli trend to impose more colonial realities and Judaize the public space in occupied Jerusalem. The Governorate added that the establishment of a museum for the so-called "Israeli Army Heritage" near the "Ammunition Hill" site represents a systematic attempt to reinforce the occupation narrative and link Palestinian historical sites to the Israeli military narrative. The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that any legislation or decisions issued by the occupation authorities have no legal effect on the legal status of UNRWA or on its presence and activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, which is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory according to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The Jerusalem Governorate called on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to take urgent steps to refer Israel to the International Court of Justice if it does not revoke the laws and procedures targeting UNRWA and return the assets and properties it has seized, emphasizing that the continued international silence regarding these violations encourages the occupation authorities to continue their aggressions against international institutions and the Palestinian people in occupied Jerusalem.

UNRWA compound in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, occupied Jerusalem: Photography by Ahmed Jalajel