Jerusalem: Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, has decried the Israeli occupation authorities' forcible eviction of students and teaching staff and the closure of several UNRWA-run schools in the Shuafat refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Lazzarini expressed his outrage over the incident, labeling it 'an assault on children and education.' In a statement shared on X, he emphasized the severity of the situation by highlighting that storming schools and forcing them shut shows a disregard for international law. He reiterated that these schools are considered inviolable premises of the United Nations.
The incident occurred when heavily armed Israeli forces entered three UNRWA schools in the Shu'fat Camp in occupied East Jerusalem, displacing over 550 students from their classrooms. A UNRWA staff member was also detained during the operation. In response to the incursion, UNRWA was compelled to evacuate all children from the six schools it operates in East Jerusalem.
Lazzarini further condemned the enforcement of closure orders issued the previous month, stating that the actions of the Israeli authorities deny Palestinian children their fundamental right to education. The closure orders stipulate a prohibition on entering the school buildings after May 8, 2025, affecting not only students but also principals, teachers, staff, and parents.
This development follows the Israeli Knesset's decision in October 2024 to pass a law that bans the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) within Israel.