Israeli forces raided the Qalandiya Training Centre, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem, on Tuesday, August 26th, 2026. The operation, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was justified under an Israeli law passed in October 2024 banning the UN agency.

The raid has drawn sharp condemnation from Qatar, which warned of systematic efforts to strip millions of Palestinians of essential services. Israeli affairs expert Adel Shadid told Al Jazeera that the assault is part of a broader geopolitical strategy involving the historic Qalandiya Airport, adjacent to the training centre. Built over 106 years ago, the airport area is targeted for a large settlement project that would include over 9,000 housing units and a Jewish heritage centre, erasing Jordanian landmarks and carving out 12 to 13 percent of the West Bank.

Shadid described the takeover of the UNRWA headquarters and lowering of the UN flag as unprecedented and a dangerous escalation against international humanitarian law, UN laws, and the UN General Assembly's mandate granted to UNRWA. He noted that an agreement signed on June 14, 1967, between UNRWA and Israel, which provided for the protection and facilitation of UNRWA operations, has effectively ended amid escalating Israeli measures.

Additionally, UNRWA faces a significant budget deficit, exacerbated by a $360 million cut—about 30 percent of its annual budget—imposed by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers.

This raid is seen by officials and analysts as a pivotal step in Israel's campaign to dismantle international refugee protections and consolidate control over the occupied West Bank.

Sources