Occupation seizes land of UNRWA Headquarters in Jerusalem to transform it into colonial outpost

The Israeli occupation authorities announced the seizure of the land of UNRWA's main headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, in order to build 1,440 colonial housing units. This decision is part of the occupation's ongoing escalation against the UN relief agency, including attempts to pass bills aimed at delegitimizing and criminalizing its activities. This decision follows the approval of a draft bill by the Israeli Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, that aims to sever ties between Israel and UNRWA. The bill, which is expected to be put to a second and third reading next week, is part of a series of bills proposed by several Knesset members to restrict the agency's activities. According to the bill, the 1967 agreement that allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel would be revoked, and thus the agency's activities would cease, and any contact between Israeli officials and its staff would be prohibited. The bill also provides that diplomatic visas will not be gra nted to UNRWA staff. The Israel Land Authority has issued an eviction order against UNRWA's East Jerusalem premises under the pretext that the land was being used without its approval, mandating it to pay tens of millions of shekels in back rent for the years it occupied the property. In recent months, extremist colonists have organized a series of protests outside the agency's headquarters, demanding its closure. Colonists set fire to the perimeter of the UNRWA Headquarters, amid ongoing incitement by colonists and senior Israeli officials against the agency. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA