Eleven foreign ministers from nations including the UK, Canada, France, and Japan have issued a joint statement condemning Israel's demolition of the UNRWA HQ in east Jerusalem as 'unacceptable.'
The January 28 statement by the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom condemned the demolition (which took place on 20 January) as "the latest unacceptable move to undermine their ability to operate."
The ministers urged the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure the protection and inviolability of United Nations premises in accordance with the provisions of the UN General Convention (1946) and the Charter.
"We call upon the Government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions," the statement added.
Despite the existence of an abundance of evidence showing UNRWA’s ties with Hamas, the ministers said they fully support UNRWA’s "indispensable" mission to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. The ministers also said they welcome UNRWA’s apparent commitment to reform and implement the recommendations of the 2024 Colonna Report.
The statement reiterated "deep concern" regarding the application by the Government of Israel of legislation, adopted by the Knesset in October 2024 and strengthened in December 2025, forbidding any contact between Israeli state entities and officials and UNRWA, prohibiting and de facto preventing any UNRWA presence within Israel and in Jerusalem including the supply of electricity, water and gas to properties registered under UNRWA.
The ministers ended by calling on the Government of Israel to allow the expanded, safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services throughout the whole of Gaza and the West Bank; ensure that international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza; reopen all crossing points; and lift persistent restrictions on humanitarian goods’ imports.
Israel stands by its decision to demolish the headquarters.
Ben-Gvir calls UNRWA HQ demolition 'historic'
On the day of the demolition itself, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called it "a historic day, a holiday, and a very important day for Jerusalem's governance."
"For years, these terror supporters were here, and today they are banished with everything they built."
"This is happening as a result of the laws I initiated to expel UNRWA from Israel. And redemption has come to Zion!" MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beytenu, one of the initiators of the bill to sever ties with UNRWA, said.
The Foreign Ministry stated that the demolition was not because of any new policy, "but rather the implementation of existing Israeli legislation concerning UNRWA-Hamas."
"The State of Israel owns the Jerusalem compound in which the Israel Land Authority operates today. Even prior to the passage of legislation in January 2025, UNRWA-Hamas had already ceased its operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or UN activity there," the ministry stated.
"The compound does not enjoy any immunity, and the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law."
TPS, SHIR PERETS, and JERUSALEM POST STAFF contributed to this report.