East Jerusalem's United Nations-run schools for Palestinians have been shut down by Israel.
In the heart of Jerusalem, six UN schools catering to over 800 Palestinian students were forced to shut down last week. This decision, made by the Israelis, has left an uncertain future for these young minds.
A month prior, Israeli authorities, armed to the teeth, along with Education Ministry officials, ordered six schools in the Eastern part of the city to close within 30 days—a deadline that passed on Wednesday. These schools were managed by the United Nations' refugee agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA. While UNRWA's schools in the Israeli-occupied West Bank continue to function, these schools in East Jerusalem now stand empty.
The closure order came after Israel barred UNRWA from operating on its territory, a move that was the culmination of a long-standing campaign against the agency. This intensified following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, which ignited the Gaza conflict. Israel alleges that UNRWA schools spread antisemitic content and anti-Israel sentiments, a claim fiercely denied by UNRWA.
UNRWA plays a crucial role in providing education and healthcare to Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, an area Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has annexed this part of the city and considers it its unified capital.
"As I bid farewell to my teachers, and as I hugged them goodbye, I couldn't help but cry," shared Layan Ramadan Nataheh, a student at Shufat Basic Girls School, one of the UNRWA schools now closed. "I have no idea where I'll study next, or which school I'll attend."
Shujan Abu Remailah, a resident from the Shufat refugee camp, added, "The presence of soldiers within the school scares the students, and the decision to close the school has affected their spirits and their future. They have nowhere to go."
The Israeli Ministry of Education claims it will accommodate these students in other Jerusalem schools. Yet, parents, teachers, and administrators express concern that relocating the students from their main schools in East Jerusalem will force them to navigate crowded and dangerous checkpoints daily, and some lack the necessary permits to do so.
In response to a previous inquiry from the Associated Press, the Ministry of Education stated that it was closing the schools due to licensing issues, asserting that these schools failed to meet safety, health, and educational standards to safeguard students' welfare. UNRWA officials vowed to keep the schools open for as long as they could.
- The closure of UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, which left over 800 students uncertain about their future, was ordered by Israeli authorities a month earlier.
- These schools, managed by the United Nations' refugee agency for Palestinians, were shut down due to a long-standing campaign against UNRWA, escalating after Hamas attacks in Gaza.
- Despite the closure, UNRWA officials have vowed to keep these schools open, as they play a crucial role in providing education and healthcare to Palestinians in the area.
- The Israeli Ministry of Education claims it will accommodate the displaced students in other Jerusalem schools, but concerns have been raised about daily navigation of crowded and dangerous checkpoints, and the necessity of permits for some students.
- In the general news and crime-and-justice sectors, reports about the effects of the school closure on students' mental health and their struggle to attend school due to the complications of relocation continue to surface.
