Israel shuts Unrwa schools in East Jerusalem, sparks Palestinian outcry

The Palestinian foreign ministry is urging stronger global action to protect Unrwa's work after Israeli authorities closed six of the agency’s schools in occupied East Jerusalem.

Hundreds of students have lost access to education, the ministry said, calling the move a direct attack on their future. Officials also accused Israel of trying to force its curriculum on Palestinian pupils, disrupting their schooling.

“This decision deprives hundreds of students of their right to education, undermines their future, and attempts to impose the Israeli curriculum on them, harming the educational process,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry condemned the closures as a breach of UN protections, stressing that Jerusalem remains part of Palestinian territory under international law.

“This is a flagrant violation of the immunity and privileges enjoyed by the United Nations and its affiliated headquarters and institutions, and a serious assault on international law and international resolutions that clearly affirm that Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territory, occupied since 1967, and the capital of the State of Palestine.”