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Israel demolishes UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem

Emily Gordine | Jessica Saltz
January 21, 2026

Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Israel has sought to ban UNRWA over alleged ties to Hamas, claims the UN denies. DW visited the site as Israeli forces bulldozed the UN agency's compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

https://p.dw.com/p/579eS

UNRWA officials condemned Israel's demolition of their headquarters in Jerusalem as an unprecedented attack aimed at erasing Palestinian refugee identity.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 1949, the agency has provided humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East since 1950.

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