After Israel closed all six of its schools in seized east Jerusalem, months following an Israeli prohibition on its operations, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday denounced a “assault on children.”
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini commented on X, “Storming schools & forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law,” saying the action is “an assault on children.”
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler claimed Israeli troops “closed six United Nations schools in annexed east Jerusalem on Thursday, posting closure orders on the six buildings and forcibly entering three of the six schools.”
Two of the Shuafat refugee camp’s eyewitnesses claimed Israeli soldiers broke into the buildings and placed a closure notice declaring the schools were running without “authorisation”. The children had to leave the grounds; many of them started crying.
Before they departed, several young students—some clearly moved, others startled— embraced in front of the school. One of UNRWA’s employees reportedly was in custody.
UN phrases school closures as “assault on children.”
The closure order in Hebrew states, “From May 8, 2025, it will be prohibited to operate educational institutions, or employ teachers, teaching staff or any other staff, and it will be forbidden to accommodate students or allow the entrance of students into this institution.”
At 9 a.m., Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s director in the West Bank, reported that “heavally armed” troops encircled the three UNRWA schools at Shuafat camp.
Calling it “a traumatising experience for young children who are at immediate risk of losing their access to education,” Friedrich also mentioned 550 students aged six to fifteen present when the shutdown was enforced.
Friedrich claimed that police were stationed in the vicinity of three different schools in various areas of east Jerusalem, which Israel had acquired since 1967. For 800 students, UNRWA claimed, the school year had “been ended by force.”
” Violation of right to education”
In a statement denouncing the action, the Palestinian Authority said it violated children’s right to education. Its education ministry said in a statement that the closures were a “crime” and encouraged international institutions “to assume their responsibilities and defend the right of refugee children to a free and safe education”.
For more than 70 years, UNRWA has helped Palestinian refugees all throughout the Middle East; nevertheless, it has long run afoul of Israeli authorities, who have frequently claimed it compromises national security. Israeli law took effect at the end of January prohibiting agency operations.
The ordinance pertains to east Jerusalem but not to the remainder of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 after the annexation. Furthermore forbidden is contact between it and Israeli officials.
Although some “neutrality-related issues” were discovered within UNRWA, the studies underlined Israel had not produced solid proof for its top charge. Still, the UN declared in August that nine UNRWA employees would be let off for suspected involvement in the attacks.
An Israeli group protecting Arab minority rights claimed that Israeli police were breaking into six UNRWA-operated schools located in east Jerusalem.
Arguing the new legislation targeting UNRWA breached “fundamental human rights and Israel’s obligations under international law,” the organization petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court in mid-January.
The Supreme Court turned down its demand for a suspension of the legislation. Adalah asked the Supreme Court in April to stop closing orders on UNRWA-operated schools.
The court denied the NGO’s plea and the Jerusalem municipality was providing alternative education, the state said. Adalah said the suggested substitutes “wholly inadequate.” The United Nations regards the eastern sector annexation of Jerusalem as unlawful.
