Malaysia Strongly Condemns Israel’s Attack On Unrwa Headquarters

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s incursion into the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the demolition of its premises in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, on Jan 20.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said that Israel has a legal obligation under international law to facilitate humanitarian relief efforts by UN entities, particularly UNRWA, without obstruction.

It stressed that all humanitarian and medical personnel must be protected, and that the privileges, immunities, and inviolability of the UN, its premises, property, and officials must be upheld, as reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion dated Oct 22, 2025. 

Malaysia also called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for the continuing serious violations of international law, including the UN Charter, the 1946 UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities, and relevant UN resolutions. “This impunity must end,” the statement added.

The UNRWA on Tuesday reported that Israel’s bulldozers entered its compound and demolished its buildings under the watch of lawmakers and a member of the government, calling it an “unprecedented attack against a UN agency and its premises”.

-- BERNAMA