Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns Israel’s Closure of Six UNRWA Schools in Jerusalem
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to close six schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Shu’fat Refugee Camp, Silwan, Wadi al-Joz, and Sur Baher in Jerusalem. This move effectively deprives hundreds of students of their fundamental right to education, disrupts their future, and imposes the Israeli curriculum in a blatant attempt to undermine Palestinian identity and education. The closure constitutes a flagrant violation of the privileges and immunities granted to UN institutions and facilities, as well as a grave breach of international law and UN resolutions, which unequivocally affirm that Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 and the capital of the State of Palestine.
The Ministry underscores that this decision is part of Israel’s systematic incitement campaign against UNRWA, the occupying power’s long-standing effort to delegitimize and dismantle the agency. This campaign has intensified during Israel’s war of genocide, displacement, and annexation against Palestinians in Gaza and refugee camps in the northern West Bank. It has manifested through public statements and direct attacks on UNRWA’s staff, premises, institutions, resources, and personnel.
The Ministry reaffirms its unwavering commitment to diplomatic, political, and legal efforts with all international partners to ensure that UNRWA continues to fulfill its mandate effectively, in accordance with relevant UN General Assembly resolutions, including Resolutions 194 (III) and 302 (IV), among others. The Ministry further calls for intensified international action to protect UNRWA’s mandate and ensure its sustainability until the rights of Palestinian refugees are fully realized, and a just solution is reached in line with international law and UN resolutions, particularly Resolution 194 and the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland from which they were forcibly displaced.