‘Outrageous’ arson attack forces UNRWA to temporarily shutter East Jerusalem compound

Posting on social media, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said “Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter” on Thursday evening. UNRWA personnel and staff from other UN agencies were inside the compound at the time. “Our director with the help of other staff had to put out the fire themselves as it took the Israeli fire extinguishers and police a while before they turned up,” he said.This marked “the second appalling incident in less than a week” following a similar violent protest on Tuesday.