jordan pulse -

Sources in Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli occupation police forces were present inside and around schools in Shuafat as the Israeli decision to shut down UNRWA-run schools in occupied Jerusalem came into effect.

Other sources told Al-Mamlaka that parents and students reject the decision and planned to attend classes as usual. However, the occupation forces are expected to disperse any gathering or protest by force, raising concerns over possible police crackdowns and tear gas use near students.

UNRWA’s administration instructed its school principals in Jerusalem to evacuate students to protect them from potential raids.

Israeli officials from the Jerusalem Municipality had delivered school closure orders to institutions in Shuafat refugee camp, Sur Baher, Wadi Al-Joz, and Silwan on 8 April 2025, giving a 30-day deadline.

These unlawful closure orders follow recent Israeli Knesset legislation aimed at undermining UNRWA’s operations.

Abeer Ismail, head of UNRWA’s media office in the West Bank and Jerusalem, told Al-Mamlaka earlier that the agency’s six schools in East Jerusalem continue to offer educational services despite Israeli threats. However, she warned that being forced to shut down would mark a dangerous precedent that could effectively end the agency’s historical presence in East Jerusalem.

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