The Qalandiya Training Centre, the last UNRWA vocational facility in East Jerusalem, faces closure following repeated military raids and threats of seizure.
The Qalandiya Training Centre, the final remaining vocational facility operated urrently faces an existential threat. Following a series of disruptive military incursions, the future of the institution hangs in the balance. Recent reports indicate that Israeli forces have repeatedly raided the premises, leaving behind a scene of destruction characterized ich has served as a cornerstone for Palestinian professional development for decades, remains largely off-limits to staff and students as the threat of permanent closure looms.
The situation reached a critical inflection point recently when Israeli military and police personnel forcibly expelled approximately 40 staff members from the site. This latest incursion was particularly notable for the presence of Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who publicly occupied the director's office. Following the raid, official statements from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested that the land would be transferred to the Jerusalem municipality for conversion into a new educational complex, a move that would effectively dismantle the existing UN-run vocational program.
For more than 70 years, the Qalandiya Training Centre has functioned as a vital economic engine for Palestinian refugees residing across the occupied West Bank. Each academic cycle, the center provides specialized training to approximately 340 students, offering diplomas in 16 diverse fields ranging from telecommunications and carpentry to interior design. These programs are not merely academic exercises; they serve as a practical bridge to the labor market, equipping young refugees with the technical proficiencies required to secure stable employment in a region where economic opportunities are severely constrained.
The efficacy of the center is evidenced 0 percent of students secure employment shortly after completing their two-year curriculum. In a region where nearly one in three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank faces unemployment, this high rate of labor force integration underscores the institution's critical role in regional stability. For many, the center represents the only accessible pathway to professional independence, particularly for families who lack the financial means to support traditional university education.
The dispute over the eight-hectare plot of land dates back to the center's establishment in 1952, long before the Israeli occupation of the territory began in 1967. While Israeli authorities assert that the land is owned international law. The agency emphasizes that as the facility is located in occupied East Jerusalem, it remains part of occupied Palestinian territory, over which Israel possesses no sovereign jurisdiction despite the 1980 annexation declaration.
Long-time residents and former students view the campaign against the center as part of a broader, systemic effort to diminish the presence and visibility of Palestinian refugee institutions. Graduates, such as 73-year-old Youssef Abu Latifeh, credit the center with providing the foundational skills that allowed them to build successful careers. For many in the community, the potential loss of this institution is viewed not as a matter of property, but as a direct assault on the collective memory and rights of Palestinian refugees, including the right of return.
The pressure on the Qalandiya Training Centre is reflective of a wider, sustained campaign against UNRWA operations in East Jerusalem and the broader occupied territories. In recent years, the agency has faced significant legal and logistical hurdles, including the passage of restrictive legislation personnel. These actions have severely hampered the agency's ability to deliver essential humanitarian, educational, and social services to a vulnerable population.
The closure of the Qalandiya facility would follow a pattern of similar actions taken against UN-run services. In May 2025, six UNRWA schools were forcibly closed in the region, impacting hundreds of students. Furthermore, the takeover and subsequent demolition of mobile offices at the UNRWA headquarters in early 2026 signaled an intensification of these policies. Despite deep financial crises and mounting political pressure, the agency continues to advocate for the preservation of its facilities, stressing that the interruption of these services deprives thousands of individuals of their right to education and economic self-sufficiency.