Last UNRWA Vocational Center in East Jerusalem Faces Closure

The Qalandiya Training Center in East Jerusalem, the last remaining vocational facility of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the area, is facing the threat of closure. By noon Friday, Israeli forces had withdrawn from the center, but a drone hovered overhead, potentially recording and monitoring all activity below. The center remains sealed off to Palestinians, while Israeli forces threaten to raid at any moment.

Through the main gate, the aftermath of a previous raid is evident: broken glass, metal fragments, and scorched ground. Videos obtained by Al Jazeera show ransacked classrooms, broken doors, and abandoned workshops. UNRWA confirmed the facility was damaged during the Israeli military presence and reported 'some people breaking in and attempting to steal property inside.'

Registration for the new academic year opened on September 1, with classes expected to begin soon. UNRWA hopes to reopen the center as soon as possible. However, on Tuesday, Israeli police and military raided the center and its surroundings, forcing about 40 staff members to leave. This was the sixth raid this year, but this time it involved Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spoke at the scene: 'This is the UNRWA director's chair; now I'm sitting in it.'

Israel's Foreign Ministry stated on social media that the land will be handed over to the Jerusalem municipality and turned into an educational zone. Meanwhile, UNRWA emphasizes that the center is already an educational facility, allowing Palestinian refugees to study and enter the workforce. Each year, about 340 Palestinian refugees from across the West Bank graduate from the center, earning vocational certificates in 16 specialties, from carpentry and telecommunications to interior design. The UN reports that 90% of graduates find employment—a notable achievement given that nearly a third of Palestinians in the West Bank are unemployed.

The center has operated for over seven decades. Youssef Abu Latifeh, a 73-year-old resident of Qalandiya refugee camp, is an alumnus. He still holds his architecture diploma printed in 1974, with UNRWA's blue stamp and grades still legible. He graduated at age 20 and, thanks to that, secured a job with a Greek company in Libya before returning to the camp. 'Without the center, I couldn't have finished my studies. My father worked for the UN, and his salary wasn't enough to support a large family, let alone pay for university,' he told Al Jazeera. He heard of the threat but didn't think it would happen: 'It's heartbreaking to see so many people losing this crucial opportunity.'

The center was established in 1952 on 8 hectares of land leased to UNRWA by the Jordanian government when Jordan administered the West Bank and East Jerusalem before Israel's occupation. Israel claims the land belongs to the Jewish National Fund and has transferred it to the Jerusalem municipality, but UNRWA asserts the facility is protected by UN privileges and immunities under international law, and Israel has no sovereignty over East Jerusalem, occupied illegally since 1967.

Palestinians like Youssef see the campaign against UNRWA as not truly targeting land or buildings, but as an attempt to erase what the agency represents: the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Israel's campaign against the agency has escalated in recent years. In 2024, the Israeli parliament passed several anti-UNRWA laws. Since late January 2025, Israel has stopped issuing visas or permits to UNRWA international staff. In May 2025, Israel closed six UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, affecting about 800 children. In January 2026, Israel seized the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem and demolished mobile offices there. UNRWA is also facing a severe financial crisis, worsened by Israel's freezing of funds following allegations of Hamas ties, despite insufficient evidence.