CNN
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The United Nations’ company for Palestinian refugees will shutter its East Jerusalem headquarters after the compound was set on hearth by “Israeli extremists” whereas employees have been inside, its chief stated Thursday.

In a press release on social platform X, UNRWA Commissioner-Basic Philippe Lazzarini stated the arson assault was the most recent in a sequence of threats, harassment and violent incidents perpetrated by Israelis towards the company’s employees over the previous two months.

“This night, Israeli residents set hearth twice to the perimeter of the UNRWA Headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem. This befell whereas UNRWA and different UN Companies’ employees have been on the compound,” Lazzarini stated.

“It’s an outrageous growth. As soon as once more, the lives of UN employees have been at a critical danger.”

The power could be closed “till correct safety is restored,” he added.

Lazzarini posted a video of the compound displaying employees attempting to extinguish the flames whereas folks chanted outdoors, and stated {that a} crowd accompanied by armed males have been witnessed outdoors the compound shouting, “Burn down the United Nations.”

A number of social media movies have been additionally posted on Israeli Telegram platforms on Thursday displaying the UNRWA compound on hearth. In a single video, the repeated chant “UNWRA is Hamas, UNWRA is Hamas,” may very well be heard.

Lazzarini stated the fireplace brought about “intensive injury to the outside areas.” There have been no casualties amongst UN employees, he added.

Israel’s relations with the UN have sunk to a historic low in current months, with senior UN officers extremely important of Israel’s battle conduct in Gaza.

Israeli officers have lengthy criticized UNRWA, which performs a central position in feeding and sheltering a whole bunch of 1000’s of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA has repeatedly denied Israeli allegations that its support is being diverted to Hamas or that it teaches hatred in its colleges, and has questioned “the motivation of those that make such claims.” The company has condemned the Hamas assault on October 7 as “abhorrent.”

In March, UNRWA accused Israel of detaining and torturing a few of its staffers, coercing them into making false confessions concerning the company’s ties to Hamas, two months after Israel accused at the least 12 UNRWA staffers of being concerned within the October 7 terrorist assaults.

Israel has additionally alleged that about 12% of UNRWA’s 13,000 staffers are members of Hamas or different Palestinian militant teams, main greater than a dozen international locations to droop funding to the company. UNRWA stated it had fired 10 of the 12 accused staffers and that the opposite two are lifeless.

CNN can not affirm the allegations by Israel or UNRWA.

On Thursday, Lazzarini stated it was Israel’s accountability to make sure the protection of UN personnel.

“I name on all those that have affect to place an finish to those assaults and maintain all these accountable accountable,” he wrote on X. “The perpetrators of those assaults should be investigated and people accountable should be held accountable. Something much less will set a brand new harmful normal.”

CNN has reached out to the Israeli authorities for remark.