A novel and practical strategy towards quinazoline scaffolds synthesis has been achieved. Through palladium-catalyzed carbonylative coupling of 2-aminobenzylamine with aryl bromides, the desired quinazolines were produced in moderate to good yields for the first time. The reactions followed an aminocarbonylation-condensation-oxidation sequence in a one-pot one-step manner. Preliminary investigation showed DMSO serves both as solvent and oxidant in this procedure. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014.