Israel shuts down UN schools in Jerusalem

Half a year after the Knesset passed legislation barring the terrorist-linked UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, police shut down six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli authorities shut down six schools operated by a controversial United Nations agency linked to Gaza terrorists, half a year after the Knesset passed legislation banning the agency from operating on Israeli soil.

Police issued closure orders to schools in the Shuafat neighborhood of northeastern Jerusalem and several other institutions operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Thursday morning, a month after officers posted 30-day warnings of the impending closures last month.

According to city officials, roughly 900 Arab students studied in the six schools.

While Israel is planning to build a new school in the Shuafat neighborhood, in the interim, the Ministry of Education has said it will ensure the students are placed in other schools.

The closures come more than six months after the Knesset passed two bills targeting UNRWA following reports of comprehensive ties between the agency and Gaza terrorists, including some involved in the October 7, 2023 invasion.,

UNRWA has long faced criticism for the use of antisemitic teaching materials in its schools.

One of the two bills, passed on October 28, 2024, barred all UNRWA operations inside Israeli territory, mandating the shuttering of all UNRWA facilities – including schools – operating in Jerusalem.

The closures impact two schools in Shuafat, with a combined 622 students, a girls’ school in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, with 116 students, a boys’ school in Wadi al-Joz with 36 students, and a co-ed school in Sur Baher with 103 students.

On April 8, Israeli police notified the six schools of their impending closure and placed notices warning school staff members, parents, and students that they would be prohibited from entering the school buildings as of May 8.