Full Breakdown
Israel Seizes UNRWA’s Last Vocational Training Centre in East Jerusalem
8/30/2026, 7:50:31 AM
The Seizure of the Qalandiya Training Centre
On August 25, 2026, Israeli security forces entered the Qalandiya Training Centre in East Jerusalem, expelled roughly 40 UNRWA staff members and raised the Israeli flag over the campus. The operation was led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who filmed himself in the former UNRWA director’s office. Israeli authorities said equipment would be removed and part of the site converted into a municipal school.
Background and Context
The centre, founded in 1952 on land rented from Jordan, has provided free vocational training to Palestinian refugees for more than seven decades. In 2024, Israel’s Knesset passed laws restricting UNRWA, and in early 2025 a ban on UNRWA operations inside Israel’s claimed territory took effect. The Qalandiya centre had already been raided six times in 2026, and UNRWA staff had been expelled from other East Jerusalem facilities.
Data and Statistics
- Annual intake: ? 340 students, ages 15-19, across 16 vocational specialisations.
- Employment outcome: 90 % of graduates find jobs (UNRWA).
- Staff expelled in the August 25 raid: ? 40 employees.
- Prior closures in 2025: six UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, affecting ? 800 children.
- Reported 2026 funding shortfall: ? $100 million.
Official Statements & Responses
- Israeli Foreign Ministry called UNRWA “a breeding ground for terrorism.”
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, via spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, condemned the incursion as “unauthorised and deeply concerning,” citing the inviolability of UN premises.
- The European Union and 14 member states (including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom) issued a joint condemnation, calling the seizure “unlawful” and urging Israel to comply with UN directives.
- Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded “immediate and effective measures” to protect the college.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Alleged staff involvement in terrorism: The Israeli Foreign Ministry cites a U.S. report alleging over 100 UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 2023 attacks; UNRWA says it has received no evidence and has terminated contracts only where “possible involvement” was identified.
- Number of staff expelled: Both Israeli and UNRWA sources give an approximate figure of 40 employees.
- Future use of the site: Israeli officials say the campus will become a municipal school, but UNRWA and observers have not received detailed conversion plans.
What’s Next
Registration for the 2026-27 school year remained open until September 1, but the centre is currently inaccessible. UNRWA wants to reopen “as soon as possible,” while Israeli authorities plan to repurpose part of the campus for a school serving the Kafr Aqab neighbourhood. The EU-14 statement urges Israel to reverse the seizure and restore UNRWA’s operational freedom, referencing the International Court of Justice’s 2023 ruling on UN premises.
