UNRWA to Close East Jerusalem HQ Office After Fires

United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini announced Thursday that the agency will shutter its doors at its East Jerusalem headquarters after two fires that he attributed to arson by Jewish settlers.

Lazzarini said the fires caused "extensive damage to the outdoor areas" but that no one was hurt. He said that staff were on the compound at the time of the fires, however.

"This is an outrageous development. Once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk. In light of this second appalling incident in less than a week, I have taken the decision to close down our coumpound until proper security is restored," Lazzarini posted to X.

In March, Israel named 12 UNRWA employees who had ties to and assisted Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks. One hostage released in late 2023 revealed that he was held for nearly 50 days in the attic of a UNRWA teacher.

Lazzarini added that "Israeli extremists have been staging protests outside the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem."

"Over the past months, U.N. staff have regularly been subjected to harassment and intimidation," Lazzarini said. "Our compound has been seriously vandalized and damaged. On several occasions, Israeli extremists threatened our staff with guns."

Newsmax could not independently confirm the veracity of his claims.

Bipartisan legislation introduced this week seeks to recoup aid that was given to UNRWA this year.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are pushing the State Department to recover any federal funds that have been distributed to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

The Biden administration announced in January it would stop any additional funding to the agency. Yet, just before the freeze, UNRWA had already received $121 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars. 

"For way too long, UNRWA has masqueraded as a relief organization, while in reality serving as an incubator for Palestinian terrorists," Mast said in a statement. "Intelligence reports indicate that as many as 10 percent of UNRWA workers have direct links to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihadists. It's ludicrous that our hard-earned American tax dollars were going to fund this crap."

• Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Recoup UNRWA Funds
• Government Funding Bill Includes UNRWA Funding Pause