Israel cuts utilities to UNRWA in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Palestine (MNTV) — Israeli authorities have disconnected water and electricity supplies to the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem, escalating measures against the UN body’s presence in the city.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen visited the UNRWA compound alongside workers from the Jerusalem water and sanitation company Hagihon to supervise the suspension of services, according to Israeli media reports.

Cohen said the action was carried out under legislation approved at the end of 2025 by Israel’s ultra radical assembly, which mandated cutting utilities to the agency’s headquarters following an earlier decision to bar UNRWA from operating in East Jerusalem and within Israel.

In January, Israeli authorities compelled UNRWA to evacuate its main office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood before taking control of the site and demolishing parts of the facility. The move prompted condemnation from several countries, including Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal and Spain.

UNRWA employs around 12,000 staff across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, providing essential health, education and social services to Palestinian refugees. The agency also supports refugee communities in neighboring countries, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.