AI-written summary of reporting by The Jerusalem Post. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the original, linked below.
ABSTRACT

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency accused Israel's Jerusalem Municipality of entering and taking control of UNRWA facilities in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem without authorization, according to a statement published on Thursday, August 17, 2026. The Jerusalem Municipality denied that the properties belong to UNRWA, saying it had signed a usage agreement with the sites' private owners.

The Jerusalem Post

UNRWA accuses Jerusalem Municipality of seizing agency facilities in Shuafat refugee camp

Aug 17, 2026, 1:17 PM

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency accused Israel's Jerusalem Municipality of entering and taking control of UNRWA facilities in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem without authorization, according to a statement published on Thursday, August 17, 2026. The Jerusalem Municipality denied that the properties belong to UNRWA, saying it had signed a usage agreement with the sites' private owners.

Context

UNRWA's West Bank director Roland Friedrich said that personnel associated with the Jerusalem Municipality had in recent days entered UNRWA facilities — including a school compound, a health center, and a community services office — without authorization. Friedrich alleged the personnel forcibly entered by breaking locks and that contractors working on behalf of the municipality had begun carrying out work at the sites, which he said constituted a violation of international law.

Friedrich said the land was only partially privately owned and partially under Jordanian custodianship, and that UNRWA held a public-use and possession allocation of the premises. He said UNRWA had invested millions of dollars provided by international donors over the years into the construction, maintenance, and development of three schools and a health center at the site. He stated that Israel's closure of the sites had deprived 550 Palestinian children of education and restricted health service access for 20,000 patients.

Israel passed legislation in late 2024 banning UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, citing alleged Hamas presence within the agency's ranks and what it described as anti-Israel sentiment in UNRWA schools.

All Perspectives
UNRWA (Roland Friedrich, West Bank director): Friedrich said that, as a UN agency, UNRWA schools and health facilities in the Shuafat Camp are 'protected by the privileges and immunities of the United Nations under international law' and that the 'premises are inviolable and immune from any form of legal process or interference, in accordance with the terms of the Convention of Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations to which the State of Israel is a signatory.' He said the land was only partially privately owned and partially under Jordanian custodianship, and that UNRWA has had a public-use and possession allocation of it for its premises.
Jerusalem Municipality: The municipality told The Jerusalem Post: 'These are not UNRWA properties but privately owned properties for which the municipality has signed a usage agreement. According to the owners of those properties, UNRWA itself unlawfully took control of the properties and did not make payments throughout this period.' It added: 'The municipality intends to open educational institutions at the site for the benefit of residents of the surrounding neighborhoods.'
Gaps & Unknowns
  • The source does not identify the private owners with whom the Jerusalem Municipality says it signed a usage agreement.
  • The source does not state the specific dollar amount UNRWA says it invested in the facilities.
  • The source does not state whether any Israeli court or administrative body has ruled on the ownership or usage status of the properties.
  • The source does not detail what work the municipality's contractors have carried out at the sites beyond describing it as having begun.
  • The source does not state whether the Israeli government at the national level has commented on or coordinated with the municipality's actions.
  • The source does not clarify the nature or terms of the Jordanian custodianship Friedrich references.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. The Jerusalem Post — original

Read the original at The Jerusalem Post

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