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Jerusalem begins renovation at Kafr Akab UNRWA facility, will become educational complex

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Jerusalem has begun renovating a UNRWA facility in Kafr Akab to create an educational and community complex.
  • The initial phase includes a municipal boys' high school, with plans for more schools and facilities.
  • The project is contested, with Jerusalem claiming ownership of the land and accusing UNRWA of overreach, while the agency disputes these claims.

Jerusalem Municipality has initiated renovation work at a UNRWA facility in Kafr Akab, transforming it into a new educational and community complex. The initial phase involves an investment of over NIS 40 million and includes the opening of a municipal boys' high school next week, coinciding with the start of the academic year. Future plans for the site, formerly the Kalandia Training Centre, encompass additional schools, a mosque, and sports, community, and healthcare facilities aimed at serving thousands of Arab residents.

The Kalandia Training Centre has operated as a vocational education facility under UNRWA for over 70 years, providing training to approximately 350 young Palestinians in fields such as vehicle maintenance, plumbing, and IT. While located beside the Kalandia refugee camp, the compound falls within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries under Israeli law, situated north of the security barrier.

The Jerusalem Foreign Ministry asserts that the land, owned by the Jewish National Fund since 1937, was allocated to the municipality, and that UNRWA lacks property rights. The ministry accuses the agency of unlawfully occupying land needed for local services. UNRWA, however, disputes this, stating the Jordanian government provided the land before 1967 and considers the center a protected UN installation. The agency has previously described Israeli entries as unauthorized and warned that closing the center would deprive young Palestinians of crucial vocational training.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attended the site, framing the municipal work as a police operation to assert control and remove UNRWA. He accused the agency of providing cover for Hamas. However, Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky, who spearheaded legislation restricting UNRWA's activities, accused Ben-Gvir of attempting to take credit for the operation, which began shortly after a petition to the High Court regarding the matter.

Today we are making history. This morning, we are beginning the work to remove UNRWA from Kafr Aqab.

— Itamar Ben-GvirNational Security Minister's statement upon arriving at the site.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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