SAFA — Israel’s seizure of a United Nations refugee agency training facility in occupied Jerusalem has heightened concerns over the future of the agency’s operations in the city and the broader Palestinian refugee issue.

Israeli forces took control of the Qalandia Vocational Training Center in Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem, on Aug. 25. Palestinian sources described the move as part of a broader Israeli campaign aimed at dismantling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and curtailing its presence in Jerusalem.

More than 50 Israeli police and Border Guard personnel, accompanied by armored vehicles and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the UNRWA compound, according to Palestinian accounts. About 20 employees inside the facility were reportedly forced out at gunpoint.

The U.N. flag was removed and replaced with an Israeli flag, while Israeli forces announced that they had taken full control of the compound, which covers more than 80 dunams.

The takeover followed a series of Israeli measures against UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, including raids, utility restrictions and the closure of schools and medical facilities.

The Qalandia facility had already been raided five times by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2026, according to UNRWA, amid mounting pressure to close the center.

In January, Israeli authorities approved measures to cut water and electricity supplies to UNRWA buildings in Jerusalem and began issuing formal notices ahead of implementation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would act against UNRWA “by all means.”

Ben-Gvir has also publicly backed efforts to shut down UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem. He previously described the closure of the Qalandia vocational training center as part of Israel’s assertion of sovereignty over Jerusalem, declaring, “UNRWA is in our hands.”

Israeli Measures Target UNRWA Facilities

The campaign has also targeted UNRWA’s main administrative compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

On Jan. 20, Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, entered the compound and demolished buildings, mobile offices and other structures, according to the report.

Ben-Gvir took part in the operation, while Israeli authorities announced plans to seize the property and use the site for other purposes, including a military facility and settlement development.

Israeli police had also raided the agency’s headquarters in December 2025 as Israeli authorities moved to implement further measures against UNRWA.

The headquarters had previously been targeted by Israeli settlers. In May 2024, settlers entered the grounds and set fire to vegetation and structures around the offices while Israeli police were present, according to Palestinian accounts.

During the first quarter of 2026, Israeli municipal forces also raided six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem, as well as medical clinics operated by the agency in Shuafat refugee camp.

Palestinian sources said education and medical personnel were forcibly removed and the facilities closed.

Palestinians Face Loss of Essential Services

Ali Ibrahim, a researcher specializing in Jerusalem affairs, described the seizure of the Qalandia facility as a major escalation in what he said was a broader Israeli strategy to dismantle UNRWA’s operations in Jerusalem.

The Israeli campaign is having direct consequences for Palestinians in the city, he said, particularly by reducing access to education and vocational training and adding to the economic and social pressures facing Palestinian communities.

Abdullah Maarouf, another researcher specializing in Jerusalem affairs, described the latest developments as part of an increasingly aggressive Israeli campaign against UNRWA.

Maarouf argued that Ben-Gvir’s public involvement in the Qalandia operation and the raising of the Israeli flag at the U.N.-affiliated facility were intended partly to appeal to Israel’s right-wing political base.

He characterized the actions as political displays aimed at strengthening the standing of hard-line Israeli politicians ahead of elections.

UNRWA and the Palestinian Refugee Issue

The dispute over UNRWA extends beyond the agency’s individual facilities because the organization is closely associated with the Palestinian refugee issue.

For Palestinians, UNRWA’s continued presence serves not only a humanitarian function but also represents the unresolved status of millions of Palestinian refugees and their longstanding demand for a resolution of the refugee question.

Palestinian researchers say the takeover of the Qalandia center therefore represents both a loss of essential services and another step toward eliminating the international institutional presence associated with Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem.