Israeli Army seizes UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem

The Israeli Army has announced the seizure of the land of UNRWA's main headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of the occupied East Jerusalem, in order to build 1,440 colonial housing units. This decision follows the approval of a draft bill by the Israeli Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee that aims to sever ties between Israel and UNRWA. The bill, which is expected to be put to a second and third reading next week, is part of a series of bills proposed by several Knesset members to restrict the agency's activities. According to the bill, the 1967 agreement that allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel would be revoked, and thus the agency's activities would cease, and any contact between Israeli officials and its staff would be prohibited. The bill also provides that diplomatic visas will not be granted to UNRWA staff.