Israel Orders Closure of UN-Run Schools in East Jerusalem, Leaving 800 Students in Limbo

Tensions Rise as Israel Orders Closure of Six UN-Run Schools in East Jerusalem

In a move that’s ignited a fresh wave of controversy, Israeli forces have raided six schools operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem and slapped them with closure orders. These schools now have 30 days to shut their doors — a decision that could abruptly disrupt the academic lives of hundreds of Palestinian students.

Let’s unpack this.

🎓 Over 800 Students at Risk

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, took to social media to express serious concern. According to him, nearly 800 students are at risk of being left in the lurch, unable to finish their academic year. “UNRWA schools are protected by the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” he emphasized. “Today’s unauthorized entries and issuance of closure orders are a violation of these protections.”

That’s no small statement — it suggests that what went down wasn’t just a local administrative issue. It was a direct hit on an international organization that’s been around for decades.

🏫 What is UNRWA?

To understand the gravity, it’s worth looking at what UNRWA actually does.

Founded back in 1949 after the creation of Israel and the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians (an event known in Arabic as the Nakba, meaning “catastrophe”), UNRWA was set up to provide emergency support to Palestinian refugees.

Initially, the agency helped around 750,000 displaced Palestinians. Today, that number has skyrocketed to nearly 6 million. They provide schooling, healthcare, food assistance, and other essential services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

In East Jerusalem and the West Bank alone, UNRWA supports around 871,500 people, while in Gaza, it reaches approximately 1.7 million — the majority of the territory’s population.

📚 Schools Under Pressure

The recent school closures stem from a law passed by Israel’s parliament back in October. This law officially banned UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its capital (though the international community disputes this).

Israeli lawmaker Yulia Malinovsky, who spearheaded the bill, confirmed the closure orders and said that the schools have until May 8 to comply. She didn’t mince words either: “We’re doing everything we can to implement the UNRWA bills fully in all institutions and in all aspects.”

That includes attempts to cut off water and electricity to UNRWA facilities in the areas under Israeli control.

🛑 Israel’s Longstanding Stance on UNRWA

This isn’t the first time Israel has gone after UNRWA. Israeli officials have long argued that the agency fosters anti-Israel sentiment among Palestinians, especially in its school curriculum. They claim that some UNRWA employees have connections to Hamas, the group Israel and several Western countries classify as a terrorist organization.

UNRWA, for its part, has repeatedly denied these allegations. They argue that the agency shouldn’t be judged by the actions of a few. In response to allegations that some of its staff were involved in attacks during the October 7 incident, UNRWA stated there’s “absolutely no ground for a blanket description of the institution as a whole being totally infiltrated.”

In fact, a UN-commissioned inquiry found only a marginal number of examples in UNRWA textbooks that could be seen as anti-Israel. Still, the report acknowledged that even those few instances were a “grave violation of neutrality.”

🧠 What Happens to the Kids?

So now the big question: what happens to those 800+ students?

Israel’s Ministry of Education says they’ve directed parents to enroll their kids in other schools. “The professional staff at the Ministry of Education continue to support the educational framework for each student,” read their official statement.

But critics argue this move isn’t just about education. It’s about control — about squeezing UNRWA out of territories where Palestinians rely heavily on its services. And for families caught in the middle, the closure orders are anything but a simple transfer process. It could mean longer commutes, higher fees, or just no school at all.

🌍 A Bigger Picture

This dispute isn’t happening in a vacuum. It comes at a time when tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are already sky-high, especially with the ongoing war in Gaza that’s been raging for over a year. That conflict has left the region devastated, both physically and emotionally.

In Gaza alone, where destruction has been widespread, UNRWA is often the only lifeline for many. Refugee camps in Gaza rely on the agency not just for education, but also for clean water, healthcare, and food distribution. In short, if UNRWA is pushed out, there’s a massive humanitarian gap that no other agency is currently equipped to fill.

🔥 Key Takeaways You Shouldn’t Miss:

• 6 UNRWA-run schools in East Jerusalem have been ordered to close within 30 days by Israeli authorities.

• Around 800 students face disruptions just months before the academic year ends.

• Israel passed a law in October banning UNRWA from operating in its territory.

• UNRWA defends itself against allegations of bias and terrorist ties, calling them exaggerated and unfounded.

• The closures could severely affect education access for Palestinian refugee children.

• UNRWA has been serving Palestinian refugees since 1950 and currently supports nearly 6 million people.

🚨 What Now?

With the deadline ticking and the May 8 closure looming, it’s unclear what exactly will happen next. Will international pressure reverse the decision? Will Israel allow another organization to take over the schools? Or will hundreds of kids be forced to drop out entirely?

One thing’s certain: this is more than just an education story. It’s about sovereignty, power, and the ongoing struggle over East Jerusalem — a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades.

And for the children at the heart of this, it’s a reminder that politics isn’t just played in parliaments and press conferences. Sometimes, it plays out in the classroom — and the cost is paid by the youngest among us.