OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) closed six schools belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jerusalem on Thursday, after raiding them and forcing students and educational and administrative staff to evacuate and leave immediately.
UNRWA said that the closure of schools in East Jerusalem constitutes a serious violation of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, and a shocking experience for children who face the risk of losing their right to education immediately, as the current academic year continues until June 20, 2025.
The UN agency said in a press statement that it was forced to evacuate the schools in order to preserve the safety of the students, adding that the IOA police raided the schools and ordered the students to end their school day immediately, at a time when more than 550 students between the ages of 6 and 15 and their teachers were present.
For its part, the Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that elements of the IOA police stormed the vicinity and courtyards of the schools, amid a state of extreme tension and fear of attacks on students and teachers, in the context of a systematic Israeli escalation against Palestinian educational institutions in the city.
It considered the IOA closure of UNRWA schools in Jerusalem, in which more than 800 students receive their legitimate right to education, a blatant attack on a UN institution that enjoys the immunity and privileges guaranteed and protected by international laws and agreements.
The governorate added that this unfair decision constitutes a dangerous escalation in the systematic campaign led by the IOA with the aim of undermining the role of UNRWA, as an entry point to liquidating the Palestinian refugee issue and canceling the right of return, which represents a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Jerusalem Governorate also warned of the catastrophic repercussions of this racist and illegal decision, which comes within the policy of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing pursued by the IOA in Jerusalem, stressing that targeting Palestinian education, especially that affiliated with UNRWA, is an attempt to falsify awareness and distort the Palestinian national identity.
It called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and all international organizations to take urgent action to stop the IOA measures, and to pressure for the reopening of the schools immediately, and to ensure the return of students to their studies without restriction or condition.
The governorate also called on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, civil society organizations, and national forces to reject this decision and confront it with all possible legal means, and to affirm that education is a sacred right that cannot be compromised, and that the IOA attempts to obliterate the Palestinian identity will fail in the face of the steadfastness and will of our people.
The IOA had handed over 3 schools in the Shuafat camp, and a school in each of Sur Baher, Silwan, and Wadi al-Joz, a decision on April 8, 2025 preventing anyone from entering the school building after 5/8/2025, including principals, teachers, employees, and parents.
UNRWA had said that the IOA implementation of its decision to close the six schools would deprive 800 children of their right to education, which constitutes a violation of Israel’s obligations under international law.
In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset approved a law prohibiting the activity of the UNRWA in Israel.
