Jerusalem: Israel has officially shut down six United Nations-run schools for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, disrupting the education of more than 800 students and intensifying tensions surrounding Palestinian education access in the occupied territories.
The closures, carried out on Thursday, were enforced at the end of a 30-day deadline issued last month by Israeli authorities. According to reports from the Associated Press, Israeli police officers—some heavily armed—accompanied Education Ministry officials to issue and enforce the closures.
The affected institutions were operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which also runs schools and services for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza. While operations in the West Bank continue, this closure in East Jerusalem follows Israel’s decision earlier this year to ban UNRWA from operating on its territory. That decision stems from longstanding Israeli accusations that UNRWA promotes anti-Israel and antisemitic views in its curriculum—claims that the agency firmly denies.
The closure marks a significant escalation in Israel’s ongoing campaign against UNRWA, particularly after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Since then, Israeli scrutiny of UNRWA’s presence has intensified, culminating in the education ban now enforced in East Jerusalem—an area Israel annexed following the 1967 Mideast War, despite international disputes over its legal status.
The Ministry of Education has said it plans to relocate the affected students to other schools within Jerusalem. However, Palestinian parents and school staff have raised serious concerns. Many of the alternative schools are located beyond Israeli checkpoints, meaning that children without the appropriate permits would face daily risks and delays simply trying to attend classes. For many families, this could mean a permanent interruption to their children’s education.
Officials from UNRWA previously stated their intent to keep the schools open as long as possible, despite operating under increasing pressure and, as Israel claims, without the proper licensing. The closures now leave hundreds of students and families in a state of uncertainty, as international observers continue to monitor the fallout from Israel’s wider strategy to diminish the presence of UN agencies in contested territories.
