Israel’s demolition of UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) headquarters in east Jerusalem last week was unacceptable, 11 foreign ministers from nations including the UK, Canada, France, and Japan said Wednesday in a joint statement.
The foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the UK condemned the demolition as “the latest unacceptable move to undermine their ability to operate.”
They urged the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure the protection and inviolability of United Nations premises in accordance with the provisions of the UN General Convention (1946) and the Charter.
“We call upon the Government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions,” the statement said.
Despite the existence of an abundance of evidence showing UNRWA’s ties with Hamas, the foreign ministers said they fully supported UNRWA’s “indispensable” mission to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. The statement said they also welcomed UNRWA’s apparent commitment to reform and implement the recommendations of the 2024 Colonna Report.
It reiterated “deep concern” regarding the application by the government of Israel of legislation, adopted by the Knesset in October 2024 and strengthened in December 2025, forbidding any contact between Israeli state entities and officials and UNRWA, prohibiting and de facto preventing any UNRWA presence within Israel and in Jerusalem, including the supply of electricity, water, and gas to properties registered under UNRWA.
The foreign ministers called on the government of Israel to allow the expanded, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services throughout the whole of Gaza and the West Bank, ensure that international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza, reopen all crossing points, and lift persistent restrictions on the entrance of humanitarian goods.
Israel continues to justify its decision to demolish the headquarters.
Ben-Gvir calls UNRWA HQ demolition 'historic'
On the day of the demolition, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said it was “a historic day, a holiday, and a very important day for Jerusalem’s governance. For years, these terrorism supporters were here, and today they are banished with everything they built.”
Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky said: “This is happening as a result of the laws I initiated to expel UNRWA from Israel. And redemption has come to Zion!”
The Foreign Ministry said the demolition had not taken place because of any new policy, “but rather the implementation of existing Israeli legislation concerning UNRWA-Hamas.”
“The State of Israel owns the Jerusalem compound in which the Israel Land Authority operates today,” it said. “Even prior to the passage of legislation in January 2025, UNRWA-Hamas had already ceased its operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or UN activity there.”
“The compound does not enjoy any immunity, and the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law,” the Foreign Ministry said.
TPS-IL, Shir Perets, and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.