Israeli forces raid UN-run schools in East Jerusalem to enforce military closure orders

ANKARA

Israeli army forces raided six UN-run schools in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday to enforce military closure orders, Palestinian authorities said.

A statement by the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli soldiers moved into the facilities in the Shu’afat refugee camp to demand the immediate departure of students and teachers.

It called the closure orders of the schools “part of an Israeli systematic escalation against Palestinian education institutions” in East Jerusalem.

Last week, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that the Israeli closure orders for the six schools risk depriving some 800 Palestinian students of their right to education.

Israeli authorities ordered the schools in the camp to close by May 8, citing the lack of a license. Under the orders, no one will be allowed into the schools, including principals, teachers, and other staff.

The Israeli closure orders are seen as part of Tel Aviv’s wider campaign against UNRWA and its mandate of serving Palestinian refugees.

In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed two laws banning UNRWA’s operations in Israel and areas under its occupation and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency. The laws took effect on Jan. 30.

Israel alleges that UNRWA employees were involved in a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, a charge vehemently denied by the UN agency.

Established in 1949, UNRWA has served as a critical lifeline for Palestinian refugees, supporting nearly 5.9 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.