Call to “kill and annihilate UNRWA staff”. Llamamiento público a “matar y aniquilar al personal de la UNRWA” ENG ESP

ENGLISH

Demolition of UNRWA premises is symbolic of Israel’s attack on the United Nations system

23 January 2026

GENEVA – The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, today expressed grave concern about the ongoing, systematic attack against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the UN system and the Palestinian people, after Israeli forces forcibly entered and began demolishing the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem this week. Albanese is calling on the General Assembly to convene a special session to consider next steps after these unprecedented attacks on UNRWA and the wider UN. She issued the following statement:

“I am horrified by the Government of Israel’s relentless destruction, carried out with total impunity. Israel is dismantling the United Nations and international law brick by brick in full view of the world. Attacking UNRWA is tantamount to bulldozing the world’s efforts to sustain Palestinian life. Genocidal rhetoric by Israeli officials that has accompanied these demolitions leaves no room for doubt.

On 20 January, Israel forces forcibly entered the UNRWA headquarters compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem and demolished it with bulldozers and heavy machinery.

Israel Interior Minister Ben Gvir proudly appeared on camera while supervising the destruction and once again propagating false accusations against UNRWA.  Even more appalling was the public call made in front of the UNRWA building by the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem to “kill and annihilate UNRWA staff”.

This constitutes yet another instance of genocidal incitement that has become disturbingly normalised in Israel.

This outrageous attack by a UN member State against a UN General Assembly-mandated organisation is unprecedented, dangerous, and should spur the international community into action, especially in view of the Provisional measures of the ICJ in the case brought by South Africa and the recent ICJ opinion, confirming that Israel has no right to interfere with UNRWA’s work.

This attack constitutes a grave violation of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, and an apparent international crime which adds to the long list that Israel continues to commit in the Palestinian territory it illegally occupies.

These actions are part of Israel's genocidal strategy that will not pause of its own volition; it must be stopped through tangible actions from States that must ensure accountability and cut ties with Israel.

I call on the Secretary General to request that the General Assembly convene a special session and consider next steps following these unprecedented attacks on UNRWA and the wider UN.

It is time for the General Assembly to suspend Israel’s credentials, pursuant to Article 6 of the UN Charter, and authorise sanctions and embargoes against Israel, especially on the arms trade.” 

Francesca Albanese is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organisation, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

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