The occupation seizes the last UNRWA facility operating in Jerusalem... Qalandia Institute was stormed and evacuated, and the Israeli flag was raised
In a notable escalation against UNRWA in Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces raided the Qalandia Vocational Training Institute, linked to the agency, located in the Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem on Tuesday morning. They evacuated staff and visitors before taking control of the site and hoisting the Israeli flag.
The operation started with military vehicles and infantry arriving at the institute. Troops were bused to the site and deployed across the grounds before evacuating about 20 employees inside the facility and removing all others present.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supervised the operation, during which a large Israeli police force removed UNRWA employees from the site, claiming it was part of "imposing sovereignty."
Ben-Gvir shared an image of the Israeli flag flying over the institute, with the caption "UNRWA in our hands," suggesting de facto control of the UN facility.
Ben-Gvir affirmed that Jerusalem "is and will remain the capital of the State of Israel," emphasizing that "sovereignty is not just talk, it is practice," while reaffirming Israeli accusations against UNRWA and its staff.
A video shows him speaking from the office of the Qalandia Institute director, stating: “I am here in what used to be the office of the UNRWA director. The director used to sit here. During my tenure, there is no UNRWA or administration. They will not be here. The police, Israeli army, Border Police in the West Bank, Prison Service, and Metzada Unit all participated in a major operation. UNRWA is out! And this place will become a school for children.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he personally directed the evacuation of the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem. He emphasized that Israel will prohibit UNRWA from operating within its borders and reiterated its allegations against the agency, accusing some of its staff of involvement in the events of October 7, 2023.
Today’s operation was no longer executed solely by police or municipal authorities but was directly initiated by the Israeli political leadership, with the Minister of National Security personally involved on the ground.
Qalandia Institute: The last UNRWA facility operating in Jerusalem
The Qalandia Vocational Training Institute was the final UNRWA building remaining in Jerusalem and the last facility still offering services to refugees. This continued until the closure of the agency's main headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, its six schools in the city, and clinics in Shu’fat refugee camp and the Old City.
Following the Qalandia Institute's takeover, Israeli actions against the agency in Jerusalem have advanced to a new phase, shifting from laws, bans, closures, and raids to effectively controlling its last operational facilities in the city.
Seven decades of vocational training for refugees
Founded in 1953, the Qalandia Institute is located on over 80 dunams of land donated to UNRWA by the Jordanian government. It is situated near Qalandia refugee camp and the town of Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem.
The institute educates around 350 Palestinian refugee students, aged 15 to 19, coming from about 19 camps in the West Bank.
UNRWA offers students free vocational training, on-campus housing for those from remote areas, meals, health services, and career guidance, supporting them in gaining skills for the job market.
The training programs feature 16 specializations spanning communications technology and smart systems, electricity and energy, mechanics and automotive, as well as construction and manual trades.
According to UNRWA, over seventy years, thousands of Palestinian refugees have graduated from the institute and joined the local and regional job markets.
UNRWA: Raid on UN Facility 'unacceptable'
UNRWA sharply condemned the raid on the Qalandia Institute, emphasizing that armed security forces entering a UN facility without the organization's approval or consent is completely unacceptable.
The agency highlighted that the institute is a UN facility with the privileges and immunities provided under international law, and its inviolability must be fully upheld.
It emphasized that the institute is more than just a building; it is the region's oldest vocational training center, serving Palestinian refugees for over seventy years. UNRWA clarified that it offers hundreds of refugee students in West Bank camps each year access to free vocational training, helping them move toward greater economic independence.
UNRWA warned that any effort to seize its facilities, disrupt its operations, or hinder its capacity to perform its duties threatens the UN's ability to meet its mandate. It urged the international community to act swiftly and firmly to safeguard the Qalandia Institute and all other UN facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, ensuring the agency can continue delivering services to Palestinian refugees without fear of intimidation, obstruction, or interference.
From laws to control: A long campaign against UNRWA in Jerusalem
The Center’s monitoring indicates that the takeover of the Qalandia Institute was part of a broader, ongoing campaign to diminish UNRWA’s presence in Jerusalem. This effort started with restrictions and threats, advanced through legal measures, closures, and raids, and eventually led to the de facto seizure of the remaining UNRWA facilities functioning in the city.
• In May 2024, Israeli authorities ordered the agency to leave its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah and imposed financial demands concerning the property's use.
• In October 2024, the Knesset enacted two laws aimed at UNRWA: one banned its operations inside Israel, and the other barred Israeli officials from engaging with it.
• In January 2025, the laws were enacted, and Israeli authorities persisted in demanding the evacuation of UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem.
• In May 2025, UNRWA schools in Jerusalem, including those in Shu’fat refugee camp, Wadi al-Joz, Silwan, and Sur Baher, were closed.
• In January 2026, clinics in Shu’fat refugee camp and Herods Gate were shut down.
• In January 2026, Israeli forces, along with bulldozers, raided the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah and destroyed significant sections of its facilities, leading the agency to caution about increasing attacks on its presence in Jerusalem.
• In May 2026, the Israeli government approved a military settlement plan focused on UNRWA's primary headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.
The Israeli narrative: The land and the alternative project
Israeli authorities assert that UNRWA holds no ownership rights to the land where the facility is located, stating that the land has been owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and is allocated for the Jerusalem Municipality. They also argue that UNRWA has fenced off and utilized the land for many years without any ownership claims.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the Jerusalem Municipality has started developing an educational and social complex to benefit local residents, with an investment of over 40 million shekels. The complex will feature a high school, along with educational, health, and sports facilities, as well as a mosque.
Israel further reiterates its allegations against UNRWA and its personnel, associating them with the October 7, 2023 attacks to justify its measures against the agency.
Knesset Member Malinovsky from Yisrael Beiteinu pledged to restore Israel's control and sovereignty over the site.
Jerusalem's deputy mayor, Aryeh King, announced the reclaiming of about 90 dunams of land in the city's far north, owned by the Jewish National Fund (JNF). This move signals the start of new settlement efforts near Atarot, close to the near-abandoned Qalandia Airport. The land has a long history, having been purchased early in the last century by Zionist leaders like Berl Katznelson and former Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. The transfer was officially arranged between the JNF, the Israeli government, and the city authorities.
He stated: "Mission accomplished – UNRWA has been removed and expelled from Jerusalem."
Qalandia, one day ago... a diplomatic tour followed by a raid
The institute's takeover occurred less than 24 hours after a field visit organized by UNRWA and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit was for diplomatic delegations to observe the impact of Israeli actions in Qalandia refugee camp and the targeting of UNRWA.
The visit encompassed the Qalandia Vocational Training Institute, which was still active and offering educational and training programs to Palestinian refugees at the time.
The following day, Israeli forces reached the location, evacuated the staff and individuals present, took control, and hoisted the Israeli flag.
The last facility: The end of one phase and the beginning of another
Since the Qalandia Institute's takeover, Israeli actions against UNRWA in Jerusalem have advanced beyond just shutting down facilities and disrupting services.
The site, founded over seventy years ago to offer education and vocational training to Palestinian refugees and having served thousands of students, is now under Israeli control.
Israel states that the takeover is aimed at enforcing its laws and supporting an educational and service initiative for the population. However, UNRWA maintains that the institute is a UN entity, and seizing it hampers its capacity to carry out its mandate.
Similarly, days prior to the Qalandia Institute takeover, deputy mayor Aryeh King of occupied Jerusalem shared a video showing the destruction and removal of UNRWA signs from a school in the Shu’fat refugee camp. He claimed this was part of a broader effort to erase any sign or memory of UNRWA and to fully oust the organization from Jerusalem and its institutions.
In Jerusalem, the Qalandia Institute is now the final UNRWA facility to be evacuated and taken over, no longer just the last one threatened with closure. This marks a significant milestone in the process of ending the agency’s presence in the city.
Siege and injuries
The storming and takeover of the Qalandia Institute occurred as Israeli forces intensified their field measures around the Qalandia refugee camp. They sealed the entrances and stationed numerous troops near the institute and the surrounding streets.
The forces used tear gas and stun grenades heavily, and journalists covering the operation were also hit with tear gas canisters.
The forces were also deployed at different points within the camp, with snipers placed on high ground amidst gunfire. A child was injured during the raid.
