UN chief condemns Israeli demolition of UN compound in East Jerusalem

China

UN chief condemns Israeli demolition of UN compound in East Jerusalem

2026-01-21 19:09 Last Updated At：20:07

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned Israel's demolition of a UN compound in East Jerusalem, said deputy spokesperson for the UN chief Farhan Haq in a statement.

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli authorities' actions to demolish" the Sheikh Jarrah compound of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the statement said.

It said that, as Guterres "has repeatedly and unequivocally stated, including in his letter to the Prime Minister of Israel on 8 January 2026, the Sheikh Jarrah compound remains United Nations premises, and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference."

The secretary-general urges the Israeli government to immediately cease the demolition of the compound, and to return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay, the statement said.

It added that Guterres views as wholly unacceptable the continued escalatory actions against UNRWA, which are inconsistent with Israel's clear obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

Witnesses and Palestinian sources said Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, entered the UN compound earlier on Tuesday to raze mobile offices. After the demolition, the UN flag was removed and replaced with an Israeli flag.

The UNRWA was established in 1949. Its primary mandate is to provide humanitarian assistance, education, and healthcare services to registered Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, as well as in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

In October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law banning the UNRWA from operating in areas under Israeli jurisdiction. The legislation had officially come into effect in early 2025.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed on Tuesday that the UNRWA is no longer a humanitarian aid organization but has become a breeding ground for terrorism. Meanwhile, the Israeli Energy Ministry announced that it would cut off electricity supply to all UNRWA facilities within Israel starting from Wednesday, and will soon also cut off their water supply.

At a daily briefing on Tuesday, in response to a China Media Group reporter's question regarding the Israeli Foreign Ministry's assertion that the UNRWA's office had ceased operations, with no UN staff present and the site handed over to Israeli authorities -- thus making the actions consistent with Israeli domestic and international law -- deputy spokesperson for the UN chief Farhan Haq stated that the Israeli claim was completely untrue.

"No, that's not true. It's simply not true. UNRWA, leased its compound in East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1952. UNRWA has remained an exclusive possession of the compound without interruption until 1967 and continuously thereafter since Israel occupied the territory. Israel's occupation has been determined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to be unlawful. The ICJ and the UN General Assembly have directed that Israel's unlawful presence in East Jerusalem must end. The compound is a UN facility and is therefore inviolable under the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which all UN member states are obliged to respect without exception," he said.

The Israeli authorities' actions have drawn immediate and sharp condemnation from the UN body and regional countries.

In a post on social media platform X, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the move as "an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises" and "a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law."

Lazzarini warned that it set a dangerous precedent for the safety of all international organizations.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned Israel's demolition of structures within the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem in a statement issued on Tuesday. It said this action is extremely dangerous in nature, representing a deliberate attempt to undermine the agency's functions and mandate, sabotage the international protection system for Palestinian refugees, and violate their inalienable rights.

It also said that Israel's actions constitute a blatant violation of international law and UN facilities, and a serious breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

It said Israel will have to bear full responsibility for the assault and its consequences, and called on the UN and relevant countries to take urgent action to safeguard the immunity of international organizations.

Meanwhile, Hamas issued a statement condemning Israel's move as a deliberate disregard for the UN, its agencies, and the international community. It called for widespread and firm condemnation from the international community and immediate action to stop Israel's "forced takeover."

Hamish Falconer, the United Kingdom's minister for the Middle East and North Africa, on Tuesday expressed being "deeply shocked" by Israel's actions, emphasizing that Israel must fulfill its obligation to protect and respect UN premises.

The foreign ministries of Jordan and Saudi Arabia also issued statements on Tuesday condemning Israel and urging the international community to take responsibility and halt Israel's actions.

Cross-strait personnel exchanges up 23.5 pct in 2025

People-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Strait jumped by 23.6 percent in 2025 year on year, despite continued obstruction by the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities in Taiwan region, said Peng Qing'en, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

"In 2025, despite the continued restrictive measures imposed by the DPP authorities, cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges increased significantly by 1.0445 million more visits than 2024, totaling 5.4495 million, a year-on-year increase of 23.6 percent. Among them, 4.8918 million were Taiwan residents visiting the mainland, an increase of 868,800 more visits, or 21.6 percent, year on year; while 557,700 were mainland residents visiting Taiwan, an increase of 175,700 visits, or 47.4 percent, year on year. Notably, among the Taiwan compatriots visiting the mainland, 306,900 were first-time visitors, a year-on-year increase of 34.6 percent, of whome1.684 million were youth, accounting for 34.4 percent," said Peng.

"Although the DPP authorities were bent on obstructing and restricting cross-Strait exchanges, the people-to-people exchanges across the Strait still reached a considerable scale in 2025, with cooperation in various fields remaining active. We sincerely welcome more and more compatriots from Taiwan to come to the mainland for a visit, appreciating the magnificent landscapes of our motherland, and feeling for the vibrant economic and social development of the mainland," said Peng.