Middle East Monitor / January 22, 2026
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has rejected Israeli claims of ownership over the property that houses its Sheikh Jarrah complex in Jerusalem, saying the “Israeli Government’s claims are false & illegal.”
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X, “UNRWA has leased the land from the Government of Jordan since 1952,” stressing, “There has never been a transfer of property,” noting “It is now being seized in blatant breach of international law.”
Lazzarini said, “The International Court of Justice & UN General Assembly have determined that Israel’s presence in East Jerusalem is illegal, and must end as rapidly as possible.”
“Israel has no sovereign rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and “the application of its laws there is unlawful,” the UN official said.
Lazzarini stressed that the Sheikh Jarrah complex is a United Nations facility that enjoys immunity under international laws and agreements governing UN premises, and must not be violated.
He described the Israeli move as a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, and called on Israel to immediately stop all demolition operations.
