Critics say hundreds of children are likely to be transferred to schools teaching the Israeli program, which could “erase” Palestinian identity.
Israel closed six schools led by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees after having moved to ban the organization of the West Bank and Jerusalem occupying at the start of this year.
The United Nations Rescue and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said in a statement that the Israeli police entered schools in the East Jerusalem-East, Silwan, Baher and Wadi al-Joz districts on Tuesday.
Managers of the Israeli Ministry of Education were also on site. They gave the order to close the schools within 30 days.
“If we are obliged to close, the consequences will be disastrous because children will be deprived of their fundamental right to education, which will exacerbate their suffering and will negatively affect their future,” said ABIR Ismail, director of the UNRWA Information Office.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement that the orders of Israel were a “violation” of international law and rules granting the protection of United Nations operations against local courts.
“Some 800 boys and girls are directly affected by these closing orders and are likely to fail to finish their school year,” wrote Lazzarini.
This morning, Israeli officials of the municipality of Jerusalem, accompanied by Israeli security forces, have forcibly entered six @Unrwa Schools in East Jerusalem. They gave closing orders for the schools in force in 30 days.
UNRWA schools in occupying Jerusalem are …
– Philippe Lazzarini (@unlazzarini) April 8, 2025
Tel Aviv Tribune’s correspondent Nour Odeh said that the closure of UNRWA schools is “extremely problematic” because children would likely find themselves in Israeli institutions managed by the municipality of Jerusalem.
She explained that children admitted to Israeli schools would no longer be taught as part of the Palestinian program.
“It is an Israeli study program, which says that the Palestinians ignore and erases the Palestinian identity,” said Odeh of the capital of Jordan, Amman. Tel Aviv Tribune reported Jordan because he was forbidden from Israel and the West Bank.
UNRWA is currently providing humanitarian assistance at around 750,000 Palestinians.
Ismail said the help agency had maintained its “firm commitment to continue to provide educational services to Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem, including the current academic year”.
However, Israel accused UNRWA employees of participating in the attacks led by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, an accusation vehemently refused by the UN.
Last year, the day after these allegations, the Israeli Knesset adopted two bills prohibiting UNRWA from carrying out activities within the borders of Israel and to make Israeli officials illegal to have contacts with UNRWA. These measures have been in force since January.
Odeh said that Israel had started implementing its ban by refusing to engage with UNRWA regarding Aid to Gaza. But now she explained, the country has evolved to target the operations of the agency and the head office in East Jerusalem-East.
This decision, she said, is likely to have a “paralyzing effect” on UNRWA operations “in 19 other refugee camps” through occupied West Bank, affecting the “Palestinians who count on the agency, not only for education but also for health services, for psychosocial support”.
Odeh added that Israel has accelerated its implementation of the ban on UNRWA since the start of its military foray for the “iron wall” in the West Bank in January.
The operation was launched only two days after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza.
This involved Israeli military bombings and Bulldozer communities across the West Bank, shaving entire residential areas in what criticism fear is an attempt to progress towards a complete annexation.
More than 40,000 Palestinians were uprooted from Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps as part of the military campaign.
UNRWA was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 to provide assistance to the Palestinians displaced by their land during the creation of Israel in 1948, an event known to the Palestinians under the name of Nakba, or “catastrophe”.