The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is temporarily closing its headquarters in East Jerusalem due to arson attacks by Israeli residents, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Thursday.
"This is an outrageous development. Once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk. In light of this second appalling incident in less than a week, I have taken the decision to close down our compound until proper security is restored," he said.
None of the UNRWA staff were injured, but the fire significantly damaged the outdoor areas, Lazzarini added.
In January, Israel shared data with UNRWA's leadership on the alleged involvement of some of its staff members in the October 7 Hamas attack and vowed to hold accountable anyone involved in "acts of terror."
In early February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed an independent review panel led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to check UNRWA's activities for alleged links with Hamas. Their final report was published on April 22, saying that Israel had provided no evidence of the agency's workers allegedly being members of "terrorist organizations."