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Netanyahu: Israel will act against UNRWA with 'all means at its disposal'
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Netanyahu: Israel will act against UNRWA with 'all means at its disposal'

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel will act against the UNRWA with all available means after Israeli authorities seized its last center in East Jerusalem.
  • Netanyahu reiterated Israel's claim that UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, justifying the agency's prohibition in Israel.
  • The seized Qalandia Training Center, located in East Jerusalem, is slated for redevelopment into schools and community facilities by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that Israel will employ "all means at its disposal" against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after Israeli authorities took control of its final facility in East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu's office released a statement asserting that the eviction of the UNRWA center was carried out under his direct orders. He reiterated Israel's justification for banning the agency: the alleged involvement of its employees in the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. "Israel will not allow UNRWA to operate in its territory and will act against it with all means at its disposal," Netanyahu stated.

The seized facility, the Qalandia Training Center, is situated in East Jerusalem, a sector occupied by Israel and claimed by Palestinians as their future capital. The center, located near Ramallah, is on the Palestinian side of Israel's separation barrier.

Israel will not allow UNRWA to operate in its territory and will act against it with all means at its disposal.

— Benjamin NetanyahuIn a message disseminated by his office, Netanyahu stated Israel's position on the UNRWA facility.

The UNRWA condemned the action, calling the "unauthorized incursion" by armed Israeli security forces into a UN facility unacceptable. The agency emphasized that the center is protected by international law and is its oldest vocational training facility, serving Palestinian refugees for over seven decades.

Israel's Foreign Ministry announced plans to renovate the complex, investing approximately 40 million shekels (about 11.5 million euros) to build schools, a mosque, sports facilities, and health centers for the local community. The ministry claims the land has belonged to the Jewish National Fund since 1937 and was transferred to the Israeli-governed Jerusalem Municipality.

the entry of armed security forces into a United Nations facility, without the authorization or consent of the UN, is unacceptable

— UNRWAThe UNRWA condemned the Israeli action in a statement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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