New York, Aug. 25 (Petra)-- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the actions taken by Israeli authorities, including their unauthorized entry into and continued presence at the UNRWA Training Center in Qalandia in occupied East Jerusalem, as well as carrying out unauthorized activities inside the facility.

UNRWA staff were present at the center when Israeli authorities entered the premises without permission.

In a UN statement, Guterres expressed deep concern over the development, warning that it would deprive young people of the vocational training they had been receiving. For more than 70 years, the center has supported thousands of Palestinian refugees by providing vocational education and pathways to employment.

"The Qalandia Training Center and other UNRWA facilities are United Nations premises; they are inviolable and immune from any form of interference," Guterres said.

He added that such actions against UNRWA premises are "entirely unacceptable" and contrary to Israel’s clear obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

Guterres further noted that the International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion issued on October 22, 2025, affirmed that, with regard to UN premises in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel must respect their inviolability and refrain from interfering with the performance of their functions.

//Petra// MF

25/08/2026 23:27:49