JERUSALEM — Israeli crews on Tuesday began bulldozing the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, escalating a long-running dispute between Israel and the United Nations agency that provides critical services to Palestinians across the region.

Responding to the dramatic development, head of the UN agency Philippe Lazzarini described it as an “unprecedented attack” against the UN, whose premises are protected under international law.

The move represents “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, by the State of Israel”, the UNRWA commissioner-general said on X.

The same thing could happen to any other organization or diplomatic mission “anywhere around the world”, Lazzarini warned. “This must be a wake-up call,” he stressed.

The demolition follows recent Israeli legislation that bans Unrwa from operating in what the government defines as Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the action a “historic day” as crews moved in with heavy machinery to begin razing parts of the compound. Israeli forces also evicted remaining staff and confiscated their devices from the site.

UNRWA, which runs schools, health clinics and provides food and other aid to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighbouring countries, condemned the bulldozing as a serious breach of international norms.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed his “outrage” at the incident, which marks a sharp escalation of tensions between the Israeli authorities and UNRWA.

“It compounds what we’ve been seeing for a while; attacking aid groups and UN actors who are trying to help,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the High Commissioner.

The Israeli government has long accused UNRWA of bias and alleged links to militant groups, including Hamas—claims the agency has strongly denied

UNRWA, established in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees, continues to provide essential services even as political tensions have made its work more difficult.

The compound in East Jerusalem had already ceased regular operations after staff were ordered to leave last year. Nevertheless, UN officials and international observers have warned that demolishing its headquarters sets a troubling precedent for humanitarian work in conflict zones.

The demolition has sparked concern beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories.

UN agencies and diplomatic missions have reiterated the importance of upholding the protections typically afforded to United Nations property and personnel—protections that have been enshrined in international law for decades.

Critics argue that targeting such facilities risks undermining humanitarian efforts at a time when millions of Palestinians continue to depend on aid for basic needs like food, education and healthcare. — Agencies