Israeli army forces on Thursday raided six UN-run schools in occupied East Jerusalem to enforce military closure orders, Palestinian authorities said.

A statement by the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli soldiers moved into the facilities in the Shu’afat refugee camp to demand the immediate departure of students and teachers.

It called the closure orders of the schools “part of an Israeli systematic escalation against Palestinian education institutions” in East Jerusalem.

Earlier, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned that the Israeli closure orders of the six schools risk depriving some 800 Palestinian students of their right to education.

Israeli authorities ordered the schools in the camp to close by May 8, citing the lack of a license. Under the orders, no one, including principals, teachers, and other staff, will be allowed into the schools.

The Israeli closure orders are seen as part of Tel Aviv’s wider campaign against UNRWA and its mandate of serving Palestinian refugees.

In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed two laws banning UNRWA’s operations in Israel and areas under its occupation and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

The laws took effect on January 30.

Israel alleged that UNRWA employees were involved in a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, a charge vehemently denied by the UN agency.

UNRWA was established in 1949 and has served as a critical lifeline for Palestinian refugees, supporting nearly 5.9 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

(AA/NAN)