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STORY: UN / UNRWA UPDATE
TRT: 01:47
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 08 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
08 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Turning to the situation in Jerusalem. You may have seen early morning, Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the United Nations compound used by UNRWA in East Jerusalem. Police motorcycles, as well as trucks and forklifts were brought in, and all communications were cut. Furniture, IT equipment and other property was seized. The UN flag was pulled down and replaced by the Israeli flag. In reaction to this event, I can tell you that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA, located in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference. As recently confirmed by the International Court of Justice, any executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action against United Nations property and assets is prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The Secretary-General urges Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to help restore, preserve and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises, in line with Israel’s obligations under the Charter of the UN and its other obligations under international law, including those concerning privileges and immunities of the United Nations.”
4. Wide shot, press briefing room
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, after Israeli authorities forcibly entered the agency’s East Jerusalem premises.
Speaking to reporters in New York today (8 Dec), Dujarric said Israeli police and municipal officials “forcibly entered the United Nations compound used by UNRWA in East Jerusalem,” arriving with “police motorcycles, as well as trucks and forklifts,” and cutting all communications on site. He said “furniture, IT equipment and other property was seized,” and that “the UN flag was pulled down and replaced by the Israeli flag.”
He stressed that “this compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference,” noting that “as recently confirmed by the International Court of Justice, any executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action against United Nations property and assets is prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.”
Dujarric said the Secretary-General “urges Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to help restore, preserve and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises,” in line with Israel’s obligations under the UN Charter and international law.
