{
  "id": 3280110,
  "title": "Israel swoops on UNRWA training centre in East Jerusalem",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/israel-swoops-on-unrwa-training-centre-in-east-jerusalem",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T14:31:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/25/israel-swoops-on-unrwa-training-centre-in-east-jerusalem/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli forces stormed a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) training centre in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, solidifying their ongoing assault on the Palestinian refugee agency. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the raid in the Palestinian district of Kafr Aqab, a region Israel deems part of its annexed territory. The UNRWA compound came under Israeli control following the deployment of four armoured vehicles and 50 security personnel, according to the agency. Palestinian state media reported that approximately 40 individuals were apprehended and questioned prior to Israeli forces commencing the demolition of a portion of the site. In 2024, Israel passed a law prohibiting UNRWA's activities, following contentious allegations that some of its personnel participated in Hamas's October 7 attack in 2023. Established in 1949, UNRWA plays a crucial role in offering education and assistance to Palestinians. Israel dismantled UNRWA's headquarters in East Jerusalem in January and has since authorized plans for an army museum and recruitment office on the site. Israeli forces have reportedly infiltrated the Kafr Aqab training centre before and disrupted classes, as per UNRWA. \"The State of Israel will not permit an organization whose employees collaborated in terrorism and the October 7 massacre to operate within its territory, and will take action against it by any means at its disposal,\" Netanyahu declared. UNRWA condemned Tuesday's actions, stating the incursion was \"deeply troubling.\" The agency emphasized that the center was its oldest vocational school, providing free education to hundreds of Palestinian refugees annually. \"The entry of armed security forces into a United Nations facility, without the authorization or consent of the United Nations, is unacceptable,\" UNRWA asserted. Israel announced plans to construct new educational facilities in the area. In other Palestinian territories, an Israeli Member of Parliament wielded a sledgehammer against a monument in Madama, West Bank, which commemorated \"assassins of dozens of Jews.\" The act by Zvi Sukkot, a colleague of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was deemed excessive by Netanyahu, who stated that security in the occupied West Bank is a responsibility for the Israeli military. \"Engaging in the law's enforcement, especially by public figures, is unacceptable and hampers the Israeli army's focus on combating terror and incitement,\" Netanyahu remarked. Incidents of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank have escalated amid the October 7 attacks. Israeli settlers have torched and defaced villages, occasionally resulting in fatal confrontations, and are rarely met with any response from Israeli authorities. On Tuesday, three AFP journalists sustained injuries during a scuffle with a group of settlers near the village of Jannatah, near Bethlehem.",
  "summary": "Israeli forces seized control of an UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, extending their campaign against the Palestinian refugee agency. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the raid in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Kafr Aqab, which Israel considers part of its annexed territory. An Israeli flag was raised over the UNRWA compound after four armoured vehicles and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "Israeli police launch major raid on last remaining UNRWA facility in Jerusalem",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/israeli-police-launch-major-raid-on-last-remaining-unrwa-facility-in",
        "published": "2026-08-25T11:01:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Israeli forces raid Unrwa centres serving 16,000 Palestinian refugees",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/israeli-forces-raid-unrwa-centres-serving-16-000-palestinian-refugees",
        "published": "2026-08-25T11:25:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Palestinian presidency urges UN Security Council to convene after Israeli raid on UN offices",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/palestinian-presidency-urges-un-security-council-to-convene-after",
        "published": "2026-08-25T11:27:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Jerusalem begins renovation at Kafr Akab UNRWA facility, will become educational complex",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/jerusalem-begins-renovation-at-kafr-akab-unrwa-facility-will-become",
        "published": "2026-08-25T11:48:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Israeli forces raid UNRWA training centre in occupied East Jerusalem",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/israeli-forces-raid-unrwa-training-centre-in-occupied-east-jerusalem",
        "published": "2026-08-25T12:59:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Israel swoops on UNRWA training centre in East Jerusalem",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/israel-swoops-on-unrwa-training-centre-in-east-jerusalem-3286610",
        "published": "2026-08-25T14:31:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}