UNRWA Chief Warns: The Attacks on Our Agency Today Will Target All Global Missions Tomorrow

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini issued a stark warning on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, stating that the current dismantling of the agency sets a dangerous precedent for international diplomacy. "What is happening to UNRWA today will happen tomorrow to any other international organization or diplomatic mission worldwide," Lazzarini stated, reacting to the planned demolition of the UNRWA compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Lazzarini emphasized that international law is under increasing assault and faces irrelevance unless member states take immediate action. Simultaneously, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the demolition plans in the strongest terms, urging the Israeli authorities to halt these actions immediately and return all seized premises to the United Nations.