Israel begins demolition of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Jerusalem headquarters in Jerusalem

Israeli authorities on Tuesday began demolishing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) headquarters in Jerusalem, after a new law banning the organization’s operations in the country took effect.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed the move as a “historic day, a holiday, a very important day for governance,” saying the government was finally expelling “terror supporters … with everything they built here” and vowing that “this is what will be done to every terror supporter.”

Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky, who played a leading role in introducing the legislation, shared a “Shehecheyanu” prayer in an X post along with a video of the demolition.

Bulldozers tear apart the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem on Tuesday,