The closure of six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem threatens the education of 800 students
On Thursday, the occupation authorities implemented the decision to close UNRWA schools in Jerusalem and posted the closure orders on the school gates.
This morning, crews from the Israeli Ministry of Education and the occupation municipality, accompanied by police officers, raided six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem and posted the closure orders on their doors. The orders stated: "A closure order, pursuant to Section 32(a) of the Schools Law 5779-1969, closes the above-mentioned educational institution due to its operation without a license, in violation of Section 32(a) of the Schools Supervision Law. As of May 8, 2025, the school will be closed, and any principal, teacher, employee, or nurse is prohibited from operating or maintaining the institution or participating in any educational activity within it, as this constitutes a criminal offense under Section 33(a) of the same law. The decision was made in Jerusalem, and an administrative petition may be filed with the Jerusalem District Court in its capacity as the Administrative Affairs Court. The closure order will remain in effect until rescinded by the Director General or the court."
The decision was signed by the Director of the Supervision and Licensing Enforcement Department.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem reported that forces stormed the schools in the Shu’fat refugee camp approximately an hour after the start of the school day. As for the remaining schools, UNRWA management decided to evacuate students, administrative staff, and teachers for their own safety. Forces stormed the perimeter of schools located in the Wadi al-Joz, Silwan, and Sur Baher neighborhoods, posting closure orders on the main doors.
The center added that each closure order included the name of the school, its location (street and neighborhood), and the name of the principal.
Approximately 800 students attend UNRWA schools in Jerusalem, in addition to another 350 students at the Qalandia Training College, which provides vocational education. All of these schools are located within the boundaries of the occupied Jerusalem municipality. The agency includes three schools in the Shu’fat refugee camp and one school in each of Sur Baher, Silwan, and Wadi al-Joz (for boys and girls), offering elementary and basic education.
In a statement, UNRWA confirmed that Israeli forces, accompanied by Ministry of Education and municipal officials, forcibly surrounded and raided three of its schools in the Shu’fat refugee camp to implement the closure orders. Police were also deployed around the rest of the agency's schools in East Jerusalem.
The agency added that the forces intercepted a school employee, took down the ID numbers of the staff present, and demanded that students' classes be terminated immediately. The raid occurred during a school day, when more than 550 students, aged 6 to 15, were in classrooms accompanied by their teachers. UNRWA confirmed that it had evacuated all students from the six schools for their safety. UNRWA described these actions as a serious violation of UN privileges and immunities and a traumatic experience for the children, who risk losing their right to education immediately.
The agency confirmed that the current academic year continues until June 20, 2025.
Today marks the end of the deadline set by the occupation authorities for the closure of UNRWA schools. On April 8, the occupation authorities delivered military orders to school principals requiring the closure of schools one month after the date of the order, with implementation to begin on May 8, 2025.
The occupation authorities based this action on the claim that "there is no license to open schools."
In October 2024, the Knesset passed a law banning UNRWA activities inside Israel, along with another law prohibiting any contact with it. In February 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued instructions to implement this law, which bans UNRWA activities inside Israel. Hours after his announcement, Ministry of Education personnel, accompanied by police, raided UNRWA schools in the areas of Sur Baher, Silwan, and Wadi al-Joz. They also raided the Qalandia Training Institute in Qalandia refugee camp, and the school administrators in these areas were interrogated.
