"Israeli crews have started bulldozing the Jerusalem headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem and fired teargas at a UN vocational school in Qalandia, in the West Bank. Israel accuses the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unwra) of collaborating with Hamas a charge the agency denies and last year banned it from operating on its territory. The demolition marks Israel's latest step against Unrwa, which provides aid to millions of Palestinian refugees."
"Roland Friedrich, Unrwa's director in the West Bank, said the agency had been informed that demolition crews accompanied by police arrived at its East Jerusalem headquarters in the early hours of the morning. The facility had been largely unused for nearly a year because of security threats and incitement, he said, but Israeli forces nonetheless entered the compound, confiscated equipment and expelled the private security guards hired to protect the site."
"Israel defended the move to demolish the compound, with the foreign ministry saying: Unrwa-Hamas had already ceased its operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or UN activity there. It added: 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."
Israeli crews bulldozed the Jerusalem headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees and fired teargas at a UN vocational school in Qalandia, West Bank. Israel accuses UNRWA of collaborating with Hamas, a charge the agency denies, and banned it from operating in Israel last year. Demolition crews accompanied by police entered the largely unused East Jerusalem compound, confiscated equipment and expelled private security guards. An Israeli flag was raised in Sheikh Jarrah and some politicians celebrated. Israel defended the seizure as lawful, while UNRWA called the action a violation of international law and incitement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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