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Foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the UK condemned the demolition of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) office in occupied Jerusalem on 20 January.
In a joint statement reported by Euronews Wednesday, the countries called the act “unprecedented” by a UN member state, describing it as unacceptable and undermining UNRWA’s ability to operate.
The ministers urged Israel to uphold its international obligations to protect UN premises under the 1946 UN Convention and UN Charter, and to halt all demolition actions.
They welcomed UNRWA’s commitment to reforms and implementation of the Colonna report recommendations, stressing that the agency provides healthcare and education to millions of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, and must be able to operate without restrictions.
The statement also raised concern over Israeli legislation passed in October 2024 and reinforced in December 2025, which prohibits UNRWA from engaging with Israeli government entities and officials, effectively restricting the agency’s presence in Israel and Jerusalem, including access to utilities.
The ministers called on Israel to fully facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza under international law, ensure NGOs can operate freely, reopen all crossings—including the planned full reopening of Rafah crossing—and lift ongoing restrictions on importing humanitarian goods, including essential dual-use items.