UNITED NATIONS(National Times)- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned an Israeli raid on the occupied East Jerusalem compound of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, earlier on Monday. “This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference,” the UN chief said in a statement read out by his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. “I urge Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to restore, preserve, and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises,” he said. Earlier, Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of UNRWA, said that Israeli police, along with municipal officials, forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem. “Police motorcycles, as well as trucks and forklifts, were brought in and all communications were cut. Furniture, IT equipment and other property was seized. The UN flag was pulled down and replaced with an Israeli flag,” Lazzarini said in a statement. He added that any actions taken by Israel do not affect the compound’s status as a UN site, which is immune to interference. In his reaction, Guterres, the UN chief, added, “I strongly condemn today’s unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA located in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference. “As recently confirmed by the International Court of Justice, any executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action against United Nations property and assets is prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.”