UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns "in the strongest terms" the Israeli authorities' decision to establish military facilities at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Sheikh Jarrah compound in East Jerusalem they seized in January, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"These unprecedented and escalatory measures against UNRWA are a breach of the inviolability of United Nations premises. They constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the clear mandate of the General Assembly for UNRWA's continued operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
UNRWA is an integral part of the United Nations and the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound remains United Nations premises, the statement said.
The secretary-general urges the government of Israel to rescind its decision and immediately return to the United Nations the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound.
Israeli authorities demolished a building within the East Jerusalem compound of UNRWA in January this year, an action that drew immediate and sharp condemnation from the UN body and the international community.
UN chief condemns Israeli decision to establish military facilities at UNRWA compound
