On May 8, Sadiq Qadur, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Education, stated that the department condemned Israel's closure of schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem, deeming it "a violation of children's right to education." Qadur called on international agencies, especially UNESCO and UNICEF, to take action to defend the right of local children to education and to force Israel to reverse this decision.
Philip Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the UNRWA, posted on social media on April 8 that in the morning of that day, Israeli officials forcefully entered six schools run by the agency in East Jerusalem and demanded that they be closed within 30 days. According to statistics, about 800 Palestinian school - age children may be unable to complete their studies as a result. This move by Israel has drawn wide - spread criticism. The Palestinian side believes that it is an unjust act that deprives Palestinian children of their legitimate right to education. The international community is now closely watching how this situation will develop and whether the calls for safeguarding children's educational rights can be heeded.
