Israel bans school for Palestinian children in occupied East Jerusalem

UNRWA condemns Israeli authorities for violating international law and denying children their right to education.

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WORLDWIDE:

Armed Israeli forces shut down three schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, sending hundreds of Palestinian students home shortly after lessons began.

The closures took place in the Shuafat refugee camp, where pupils aged between six and 15 were reportedly inside classrooms when officers entered the premises. One UNRWA staff member was detained.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the action, accusing Israeli authorities of violating international law and denying children their basic right to education.

“This is a blatant disregard of international law,” Lazzarini said in a statement. “UNRWA schools must continue to be open to safeguard an entire generation of children.”

Videos showed distressed students embracing each other outside the schools, which are run under a mandate from the UN General Assembly. A closure order posted on one school’s wall stated that all educational activity and staff employment was banned.

The closures follow a ban imposed by Israel earlier this year on UNRWA operations, which it claims are compromised by Hamas affiliations — an allegation UNRWA strongly denies, maintaining its impartiality.

UNRWA said Israeli police were also deployed at three other schools in East Jerusalem, forcing all to close.

The Palestinian Authority called the move “a violation of children’s right to education,” while international reaction was swift. The UK, EU, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Japan all expressed strong opposition to the closures, stating their solidarity with students and educators.

“Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to facilitate the proper working of all institutions devoted to the education of children,” the British consulate in Jerusalem said.

UNRWA has occupied in East Jerusalem since 1950. Israel invaded and captured the eastern part of the city during the 1967 war and later annexed it in 1980, the move is not recognised by most of the international community, which still sees East Jerusalem as occupied territory.

Around 390,000 Palestinians live in occupied East Jerusalem, alongside roughly 230,000 Israeli settlers. The status of the city remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.