Jerusalem / PNN /

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Israeli forces stormed the organisation’s headquarters in East Jerusalem early on Monday, describing the move as an unprecedented violation of international law and United Nations protections.

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said Israeli forces entered the UN compound at dawn, accompanied by bulldozers that began demolishing buildings inside the headquarters, while Israeli lawmakers and a government official looked on.

“This constitutes an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises,” Lazzarini said in a statement posted on his official X account.

He said Israel, like all UN member states, is obligated under international law to respect the inviolability of UN facilities, adding that the actions marked “a new level of open and deliberate defiance” of international law and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.

The incident comes amid a series of measures taken by Israeli authorities targeting UNRWA’s operations in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1967 — a move not recognised internationally.

Lazzarini said Israeli forces stormed a UNRWA health centre in East Jerusalem on January 12 and ordered it to close. He added that water and electricity supplies to UNRWA facilities, including schools and health centres, are expected to be cut in the coming weeks.

He said the measures follow legislation passed by Israel’s parliament in December, expanding earlier laws adopted in 2024 aimed at restricting UNRWA’s work.

Lazzarini said the steps, combined with previous arson attacks and what he described as a large-scale disinformation campaign against the agency, contradict an October ruling by the International Court of Justice. The court reaffirmed that Israel is required under international law to facilitate UNRWA’s operations and stressed that Israel has no jurisdiction over East Jerusalem.

“There can be no exceptions,” Lazzarini said, calling the developments a “wake-up call” for the international community.

He warned that actions taken against UNRWA could set a precedent affecting other international organisations and diplomatic missions worldwide, saying international law risks becoming irrelevant without a firm response from UN member states.