Israel is pressing ahead with plans to build a major military and government complex over the ruins of the former UNRWA headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, months after Israeli authorities bulldozed parts of the compound in a move condemned by the United Nations and several Western governments.
The Israeli government is expected to approve the plan on 17 May, marked by Israelis as "Jerusalem Day" and by Palestinians as Nakba Day , allocating around 36 dunams of the site in the Ma'alot Dafna neighbourhood to the Defence Ministry.
According to Israeli media reports, the project will include an Israeli army museum, a military recruitment office and an office for Defence Minister Israel Katz. Israeli officials have portrayed the project as part of an effort to further entrench Israel's military and symbolic presence in occupied East Jerusalem , repurposing seized UN land beside memorials celebrating Israel's 1967 capture of the city into a hub for army recruitment, military administration and nationalist exhibits.
The site previously housed UNRWA's Jerusalem headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah area of occupied East Jerusalem . The compound, originally a British Mandate-era police academy, was heavily damaged and partially demolished by Israeli authorities in January 2026.
At the time, Israel claimed the headquarters had been "abandoned" after UNRWA ceased operations in Jerusalem and alleged the site no longer enjoyed legal protections or diplomatic immunity.
UNRWA was effectively forced out after Israel passed legislation in 2024 banning the agency's operations in areas under Israeli control, including occupied East Jerusalem.
The compound had become increasingly unsafe for UNRWA staff after months of Israeli threats, harassment, settler protests and political incitement against the agency.
Israeli forces entered the compound during the demolition, confiscating equipment and expelling private security guards hired by the UN agency to protect the site.
Videos from January showed Israeli bulldozers tearing through buildings inside the compound while Israeli flags were raised over the site.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the demolition as "a historic day".
Israel had accused UNRWA staff of links to Hamas and involvement in the 7 October 2023 attacks without providing evidence, allegations the agency strongly denies.
A US intelligence assessment in 2024 said it had "low confidence" in claims that a small number of UNRWA employees may have participated in the attacks, adding that the allegations could not be independently verified.
Founded in 1949, UNRWA provides education, healthcare and humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinian refugees across Gaza , the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The demolition of the Jerusalem compound earlier this year had drawn condemnation from the UN, the UK and several European governments, including France.
Then-Commissioner-General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini described it as "an unprecedented attack" on UN premises and warned that it should serve as "a wake-up call" for the international community.
"This comes in the wake of other steps taken by Israeli authorities to erase the Palestinian refugee identity," Lazzarini said at the time.
Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank Roland Friedrich accused Israel of violating international law protecting UN facilities, describing the demolition as the culmination of "two years of incitement and measures against UNRWA in East Jerusalem".
Since 2024, Israel has tightened restrictions on aid agencies, introduced laws targeting organisations accused of "delegitimising Israel", and revoked or threatened to revoke licences for dozens of international NGOs working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank , including Médecins Sans Frontières and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The measures have included demands for detailed disclosures on aid workers, funding and operations, which humanitarian groups said were aimed at obstructing relief efforts amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Palestinian officials and UN representatives have described the campaign against UNRWA as part of a broader effort to undermine institutions tied to the Palestinian refugee question and the right of return.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned earlier this year that Israel's actions against UNRWA could violate international law and set a dangerous precedent for other international organisations and diplomatic missions operating worldwide.
UNRWA has also suffered unprecedented losses for the organisation's history during Israel's war on Gaza , with more than 380 of its staff killed by Israeli attacks since October 2023.