The Israeli army has demolished the office of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Nur Shams refugee camp, located in Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, according to a local official.
“Israeli bulldozers destroyed the building where the UN agency administers daily services for residents,” Nehad al Shaweeh, head of a local service committee in the camp, told Anadolu on Thursday. He noted that the building had suffered partial damage during previous Israeli raids but was completely demolished by Israeli forces this time.
This demolition comes just three days after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed legislation on Monday to ban UNRWA from operating in Israel, a move expected to impact its operations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem within 90 days.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the Israeli decision as “unprecedented and dangerous,” stating it violates the UN Charter and Israel’s obligations under international law.
In Nur Shams camp, UNRWA operates two schools and a health center, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In other developments early Thursday, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that an Israeli drone strike in the camp killed two Palestinians, including a child. Tensions have escalated across the West Bank amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in over 43,100 deaths, primarily of women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.
Since the conflict’s escalation, Israeli forces have killed at least 766 Palestinians and injured around 6,300 in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
