Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished several buildings within the East Jerusalem compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), an action that drew immediate and sharp condemnation from the UN body and regional countries.

Witnesses and Palestinian sources said Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, entered the compound earlier on Tuesday to raze mobile offices. After the demolition, the UN flag was removed and replaced with an Israeli flag.

In a post on social media platform X, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the move as "an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises" and "a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law."

Lazzarini warned that it set a dangerous precedent for the safety of all international organizations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned Israel's act. "The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli authorities' actions to demolish the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson, in a statement.

The statement said that, as Guterres "has repeatedly and unequivocally stated, including in his letter to the Prime Minister of Israel on 8 January 2026, the Sheikh Jarrah compound remains United Nations premises, and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference."

The secretary-general urges the Israeli government to immediately cease the demolition of the compound, and to return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay, it said.

It added that Guterres views the continued escalatory actions against UNRWA as wholly unacceptable, which are inconsistent with Israel's clear obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday condemned Israel's act, calling it a "blatant attack" on the United Nations.

The PLO's Department of Refugee Affairs said the move sought to eliminate the UNRWA's humanitarian and political presence in the city. It urged the international community to intervene to prevent the "collapse of the international system."

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates voiced its condemnation on Tuesday. The ministry affirmed that this aggression constitutes a gross breach of all rules of international law and customary norms, and a clear violation of Israel's obligations.

It called on the United Nations, the UN member states, and particularly the states supporting the UNRWA, to take urgent and effective measures to ensure respect for the privileges and immunities of the international organization, to stop these violations immediately, and to refrain from recognizing any illegal actions that affect the agency's existence and operations.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denounced the demolition by Israel, describing the move as a "dangerous escalation and a flagrant breach of international law."

The ministry said the UNRWA plays a vital and irreplaceable role in serving Palestinian refugees, calling on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, confront measures targeting the agency, and ensure the political and financial support required for UNRWA to continue delivering its vital services to Palestinian refugees.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the demolition. The ministry rejected Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian principles, urging the international community to take responsibility to stop Israel's ongoing "crimes against international relief organizations."

Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital, a claim not recognized internationally, while the UN regards East Jerusalem as occupied territory. Israeli officials have long accused UNRWA of employing Hamas members, which the agency denies.

In October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law banning UNRWA, which provides desperately-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and other areas, from operating in areas under Israeli jurisdiction, and prohibiting Israeli authorities from maintaining contact or cooperation with the agency, a move UNRWA and international bodies say violates international law. Israel then amended the law in December 2025 to ban electricity or water to UNRWA facilities.

Last month, Israeli authorities seized UNRWA's offices in East Jerusalem.

(With input from Xinhua)