GENEVA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinians said on Tuesday that Israeli forces stormed its East Jerusalem headquarters, and bulldozers began demolishing it, calling this "deliberate defiance of international law."

"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," Philippe Lazzarini said of the latest Israeli attack in a post on the US social media platform X.

"Early this morning, Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA Headquarters, a United Nations site, in East Jerusalem. Bulldozers entered the compound and began demolishing buildings inside it under the watch of lawmakers & a member of the government."

Describing the attack as "an unprecedented attack" against the UN agency and its premises, he said, like all UN members and countries committed to the international rule-based order, "Israel is obliged to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises."

The move follows a series of actions by Israeli authorities aimed at erasing the Palestinian refugee identity, he said, reminding that on Jan. 12 Israeli forces also raided a UNRWA health centre in East Jerusalem and ordered its closure. Israeli authorities have also announced plans to cut water and electricity to UNRWA facilities, including schools and health centres, in the coming weeks, he added.

According to Lazzarini, this is "a direct result of legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in December, which stepped up existing anti-UNRWA laws adopted in 2024."

"These actions, together with previous arson attacks and a large-scale disinformation campaign, fly in the face of the ruling in October by the International Court of Justice, which restated that Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate UNRWA's operations, not hinder or prevent them," he said, reminding Israel that it "has no jurisdiction over East Jerusalem."

"There can be no exceptions. This must be a wake-up call," he urged. "What happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organisation or diplomatic mission, whether in the Occupied Palestinian Territory or anywhere around the world."

"International law has come under increasing attack for too long and is risking irrelevancy in the absence of response by member states," he said.