Israel Shuts Down Last UNRWA Facility in Jerusalem, Plans Large Educational Campus

Israeli police and Border Police forces raided and closed the last remaining UNRWA vocational training center in northern Jerusalem near the village of Kafr Aqab. The 90-dunam facility, which trained hundreds of youth from West Bank refugee camps, was targeted under direct orders from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who arrived on site with media coverage. This marks the seventh security raid on the center in recent months but the first to finalize its closure. The operation followed a visit by diplomats from 24 countries, including Germany, Spain, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, Turkey, and Poland, who toured the site just a day earlier. The Palestinian Authority condemned the closure and called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to halt the raids.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed the closure was carried out under his explicit directive, stating Israel will not allow an organization whose employees were involved in terrorism and the October 7 massacre to operate within its borders. The move is seen by Israeli officials as a critical step in implementing legislation passed by the Knesset to expel UNRWA from Israel and sever all institutional ties with the group accused of aiding terror elements. Some government sources criticized the media spectacle surrounding Minister Ben-Gvir’s presence at the raid.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem Municipality announced plans to rapidly renovate the site and open a new boys’ high school next week for Kafr Aqab residents, following the official Israeli curriculum rather than UNRWA’s. Over the coming years, the area will be developed into a large educational campus with six institutions totaling 140 classrooms, alongside public facilities such as a community center, swimming pool, sports complex, daycare, health clinic, mosque, and green park. The municipality said local residents requested the new schools and support the project. Ownership of the land remains disputed, with UNRWA claiming it is leased from Jordan, while Israeli records show parts owned by the Jewish National Fund and private owners. This development marks a significant assertion of Israeli sovereignty over areas previously controlled by international organizations within Jerusalem.