The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) strongly condemns the raid on and seizure of the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre (KTC) in occupied East Jerusalem on 25 August 2026 by Israeli security forces under the authority of the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Reports show that the Israeli forces shot and injured at least five Palestinians during the raid, including a child. As the UNRWA statement issued in response to the raid makes clear, the 'KTC is a United Nations facility protected by the privileges and immunities afforded to the Organisation under international law'. The KTC is therefore inviolable, and its personnel are immune from any form of interference.
The International Court of Justice , in its Advisory Opinion dated 22 October 2025, held that Israel has an obligation under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations to ensure full respect for the inviolability of UN premises, including those of UNRWA, and for the immunity of property and assets of the Organisation from any form of interference. The aforementioned protections are essential in safeguarding the independence and vital work of international organisations and the security of their personnel.
The UNRWA KTC is the UN's oldest vocational training centre and supports hundreds of Palestinian refugees to enter the workforce and financially support themselves. It is the last remaining UNRWA facility in Jerusalem. Its seizure marks a grave escalation in a sustained pattern of interventions into UN facilities and disruptions to the organisation's important work.
The IBAHRI calls on the international community to condemn Israel's seizure of the facility, and for the Israeli government to respect the UN Charter and its obligations under international law and cease any future actions against UN property and assets. The Israeli government must promptly return the facility to UNRWA and allow it to resume its critical work.
Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI Co-Chair, stated: 'The issue here is not political preference but legal principle. The Kalandia Training Centre is a United Nations facility protected by long-established rules of international law. The inviolability of UN premises exists to ensure that international organisations can carry out their mandates independently, free from interference by states. When those protections are disregarded, it is not simply a challenge to one institution. It risks weakening the international legal framework upon which all international organisations depend.'
Mr Stephens added: 'International law is tested not when legal obligations are convenient, but when they are inconvenient. The protections afforded to United Nations premises, property and personnel are fundamental safeguards recognised by treaty law and reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice. Respect for those obligations is essential if the international legal order is to retain credibility and authority.'
Hina Jilani, IBAHRI Co-Chair, commented: 'The actions of the Israeli security forces and the far-right National Security Minister Ben-Gvir in the storming and seizing of the UNWRA Kalandia Training Centre clearly violates the protection afforded to UN buildings and personnel, as well as being yet another attack on the international rule of law and the treaties that uphold it. The consequences of this seizure will be felt deeply by Palestinian refugees whose livelihoods and opportunities depend on the Centre. For decades, the UN Centre has provided vocational training and essential support to people seeking to build secure and independent lives.'
Ms Jilani continued: 'The Centre's closure compounds the harm caused by the raid itself, while depriving UNRWA staff of the ability to deliver services to the communities they serve. The reported injuries, including to a child, make the events surrounding the seizure all the more disturbing. Those responsible must be held to account. I call on the international community to condemn Israel's violation of international law and take effective measures to pressure the Israel government to return the facility to UNRWA and protect the UN's right to carry out its mandate across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. People who depend on the services should not made to pay the price of this unlawful interference.'
Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, IBAHRI Director, stated: 'The seizure of the Kalandia Training Centre is a serious challenge to the international legal framework that governs the protection and independence of the United Nations. UNRWA must be able to carry out its mandate without intimidation, obstruction or interference, and its premises and personnel must be protected accordingly. The international community must move beyond expressions of concern and take meaningful steps to ensure that the protections afforded to the United Nations under international law are respected in practice. The credibility of the international legal order depends on it.'
