**UNRWA decries the closure as a violation of children's rights, raising international concerns regarding education access in the region.**
**Israeli Security Forces Shut Down UN Schools in East Jerusalem**
**Israeli Security Forces Shut Down UN Schools in East Jerusalem**
**Hundreds of Palestinian students impacted as Israeli authorities close educational institutions in Shuafat.**
In a significant escalation of tensions, armed Israeli security forces forcibly closed three United Nations-run schools in the Shuafat refugee camp of East Jerusalem shortly after classes commenced on Thursday morning. This unexpected intervention led to hundreds of Palestinian students, aged six to fifteen, being sent home, prompting outcry from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, condemned the action as a blatant infringement on children's educational rights, labeling it a blatant disregard for international law. The agency alleges that Israeli authorities have been systematically undermining UNRWA's operations, branding them as infiltrated by Hamas— a claim that the agency staunchly denies.
Videos circulating on social media captured the immediate emotional response of students, with some girls in uniform seen embracing each other outside one school as Israeli forces arrived. A closure order was visibly posted at the location, prohibiting any educational activities, including the employment of teachers and the presence of students.
Lazzarini articulated his dismay on social media platform X, asserting, "Storming schools and forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law. These schools are inviolable premises of the United Nations." He emphasized the urgent need for these institutions to remain operational to protect the rights and futures of Palestinian children.
Alongside the closures in Shuafat, the Israeli police also disrupted three more UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, further aggravating the situation and amplifying fears regarding educational access in the enclave. The Palestinian Authority labeled the action a violation of children’s rights, while international representatives from the UK, EU, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, and Turkey expressed solidarity with the affected communities and condemned the closures.
These developments occur against a backdrop of ongoing tension, with Israel’s parliament implementing measures that ban contact with UNRWA and restrict its activities within Israeli territory. The ramifications of these actions could have far-reaching consequences for Palestinian children and their right to education amidst an already volatile landscape marked by political strife and historical complexities.
UNRWA's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, condemned the action as a blatant infringement on children's educational rights, labeling it a blatant disregard for international law. The agency alleges that Israeli authorities have been systematically undermining UNRWA's operations, branding them as infiltrated by Hamas— a claim that the agency staunchly denies.
Videos circulating on social media captured the immediate emotional response of students, with some girls in uniform seen embracing each other outside one school as Israeli forces arrived. A closure order was visibly posted at the location, prohibiting any educational activities, including the employment of teachers and the presence of students.
Lazzarini articulated his dismay on social media platform X, asserting, "Storming schools and forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law. These schools are inviolable premises of the United Nations." He emphasized the urgent need for these institutions to remain operational to protect the rights and futures of Palestinian children.
Alongside the closures in Shuafat, the Israeli police also disrupted three more UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, further aggravating the situation and amplifying fears regarding educational access in the enclave. The Palestinian Authority labeled the action a violation of children’s rights, while international representatives from the UK, EU, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, and Turkey expressed solidarity with the affected communities and condemned the closures.
These developments occur against a backdrop of ongoing tension, with Israel’s parliament implementing measures that ban contact with UNRWA and restrict its activities within Israeli territory. The ramifications of these actions could have far-reaching consequences for Palestinian children and their right to education amidst an already volatile landscape marked by political strife and historical complexities.
