"UNRWA is our school"... A Jerusalemite cry for the reopening of UNRWA schools in Jerusalem after a forced closure that threatens students' futures
The bells of UNRWA schools in Jerusalem did not ring as usual, and no small bags were lined up behind the morning queues. The playgrounds were empty of the noise of students, and behind closed doors, school desks remained empty, awaiting the return of students' voices and laughter between classes. The corridors, administration room, and teachers' rooms were silent, untouched by the footsteps of teachers.
Last Thursday, UNRWA schools were facing a decision to close, leaving their students and staff in the final month of the school year. Israeli occupation forces raided schools in the Shu’fat refugee camp about an hour after the start of school, evacuating students from the buildings, recording staff IDs, and posting closure notices on the doors. Subsequently, the raids extended to the vicinity of UNRWA schools in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Joz, Silwan, and Sur Baher. Closure notices were placed at the main entrances, detailing the school's name, street, neighborhood, and the name of the principal.
"It is our right to study in UNRWA schools"
On Sunday morning, a sit-in was held in front of the UNRWA Al-Quds Girls School in the town of Silwan, rejecting and protesting the decision to close the school and demanding its reopening. Students from UNRWA schools, their families, and Jerusalemite graduates from the school participated in the sit-in. "There is no alternative place for our children, and it is our right to education... The school should not be closed. It is our right to learn in our school... The UNRWA is our school... Our children have the right to learn, open the school doors... Al-Quds Girls School must be open..." Slogans hung on the school doors, and others were raised during the sit-in. The ban, which has been posted for four days, was written on it: "Rejected."
Ramadan Taha, spokesperson for parents of students in Jerusalem schools, said during a sit-in in front of the Al-Quds Girls School in Silwan:
"We stand today in front of the Silwan School to declare our rejection and condemnation of the closure of UNRWA schools. The closure decision is a political one, with known dimensions and objectives. Nearly 800 students were deprived of their right to education today, and they are now on the streets instead of being in their classrooms."
He added: "The situation of the students is at stake, and less than a month separates us from the start of final exams. We are striving to reopen the schools, and we call on all international and local human rights organizations, as well as the Palestinian Authority, to intervene and pressure the Israeli side to reopen UNRWA schools."
Taha emphasized: "We will consider the next steps of protest and will continue to communicate with all relevant institutions."
The Wadi Hilweh-Jerusalem Information Center conducted interviews with the students and their families
The graduate student Fida’ Alqam (ninth grade) explained what happened on the day of the closure: “On Thursday, we attended the first two classes, and then the school was suddenly evacuated. We lived in fear and anxiety. This is our last year in school. We have the right to complete our final academic year in our school. We want to go back to learning and end it with graduation, not by closing the school.”
Bilsan Julani, from the eighth grade, said, "The evacuation of the school was a shock to us. This school raised us and taught us. Through it, our dream is coming true. We refuse to close our school. It's our second home. It stood with us, and we want to reopen it."
Graduating student Raghad Rweidi, from the ninth grade, said, "I want to graduate from this school. We were surprised by the decision. We didn't say goodbye to the teachers and the administration. I was raised there. The teachers are my mothers, and the girls are my sisters. The school is precious. We want to reopen it. We have the right to education. I want to graduate from it. They have no right to close it. It's our second home."
Sherihan Abu Bakr, a mother of four children at the Al-Quds Girls School, said: "I want my children to go back to school. They want to learn. This is their right. Education is a right. I want the school to remain open. We don't want it to close, and we don't want an alternative. It is our children's right to receive and complete their education there. We will continue to protest and be present to protect our children's future. What is their fault that they should stay home and not go to school?"
The mother of student Elaf Qawasmi from the Al-Quds Girls School in Silwan said: "No school has accepted our children because the school year is almost over. Everyone asked us for a certificate of completion of the school year so they could see if they could enroll... or if my daughter could repeat a grade! Today, our children didn't go to their desks. They are sitting there asking: Why didn't we go to school? We want to see the teachers, the principal, and their friends. Last Thursday, the school was immediately evacuated, and the administration was forced to send the students out into the street. There was no other option."
Sahar Abbasi, who graduated from the school 25 years ago, said, "Today, I stand in front of my school's door. This is a personal act of solidarity. This school is a landmark and a symbol of Silwan, from which hundreds of students have graduated. I am proud to have been one of its students. Today, I am sad. For the first time, this institution has been closed. The decision is arbitrary and illegal. Children are left without education and without any alternatives."
UNRWA Schools in Jerusalem:
Jerusalem has six schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), serving approximately 800 students from Jerusalem.
• Shu’fat refugee camp: There are three schools, two for girls and one for boys, with more than 535 students in the elementary and primary levels.
• Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood: Al-Quds Elementary School for Boys, with more than 35 students in the primary level.
• Sur Baher: Sur Baher Co-educational Elementary School, with more than 103 students in the primary level.
• Silwan: The Al-Quds Girls' School (both boys and girls) enrolls more than 115 students.
Together, these schools employ more than 60 teachers.
In October 2024, the Knesset passed a law banning UNRWA activities within 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 within Israel.
