1 month ago
Palestinian-American journalist Daoud Kuttab has condemned Israel's recent confiscation of United Nations refugee agency facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the actions as "highway robbery." Speaking in an interview with RT's Rory Suchet on Thursday, Kuttab accused Israel of unlawfully taking over UN properties without authorization.
The escalating dispute centers on properties belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Last week, Israeli security forces seized the agency's Kalandia vocational training center in East Jerusalem. While Israel disputes UNRWA's legal rights to the site and plans to repurpose it for a Jerusalem municipal development project, Kuttab strongly criticized the takeover.
"Israel… literally stole, took over [UNRWA] buildings and turned them over to the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem. This is highway robbery, literally stealing UN property without any authorization," Kuttab said.
This incident follows actions earlier this year, when Israeli authorities seized and partially demolished UNRWA's former headquarters located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The seizures come in the wake of legislation enacted by Israel in late 2024 that bars UNRWA from operating on what Israel considers its sovereign territory. Israel has alleged that the UN agency has links to Hamas, a charge the UN rejects, maintaining that Israeli domestic law cannot override the nation's international obligations.
During the interview, Kuttab also discussed the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Why It Matters
UNRWA was established by the United Nations in 1949 to provide essential services, including healthcare, education, and humanitarian aid, to millions of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The status of East Jerusalem remains one of the most deeply contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as Israel annexed the eastern sector of the city after the 1967 war, a move that is not recognized by the majority of the international community under international law. The legislative ban on UNRWA has drawn widespread concern from international allies and humanitarian organizations, who warn that dismantling the agency's infrastructure could severely disrupt the distribution of critical aid to vulnerable populations.
English (US) ·