AhlulBayt News Agency: UN experts have strongly condemned the recent attacks on UNRWA schools in Gaza and the forced closure of UN schools in Jerusalem by Israeli occupation forces, calling them an assault on children and education.
“These attacks are also an assault on the right to safe education and a blatant violation of international law, all the more in the context of an unlawful occupation,” the experts stated.
On May 7, Israeli forces reportedly struck a UNRWA school in Gaza twice in one day. The school was sheltering 2,000 displaced Palestinians, and the attack killed at least 30 civilians, including women and children.
Since October 2023, nearly three-quarters of all school buildings in Gaza have been hit directly by Israeli bombardments, with one-third of UNRWA schools among them. UN satellite-based assessments indicate that 95 percent of Gaza’s schools have sustained damage, making most of them unusable.
“This destruction demonstrates the devastating, lasting impact on a generation of Palestinian children’s learning,” the experts said. “Their education has already been interrupted for more than 19 months, and once hostilities cease, they will have no schools to return to. Girls are disproportionately affected, and the long-term consequences for their education, health, and empowerment are particularly severe.”
Since the escalation began in October 2023, at least 300 UN personnel, mostly UNRWA aid workers, have been killed, according to UN reports.
On May 8, heavily armed Israeli forces stormed three UNRWA schools in Shuafat refugee camp in east Jerusalem during classes, forcibly evicting over 550 Palestinian children, some as young as six. By the end of the day, all six UNRWA schools in east Jerusalem had been evacuated, and one UN staff member was detained.
“Israel has no authority to carry out these actions, while the International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel is obligated to dismantle its occupation,” the experts stated. “Under international humanitarian law, schools are protected against direct attacks, particularly when no hostilities justify their evacuation.”
Experts noted that because these schools were UN facilities, forcibly removing children and harassing staff constitutes a breach of UN inviolability and violates the right to education.
They emphasized that targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited under international law and amount to war crimes. In the current situation, such actions may also constitute collective punishment.
UN experts reiterated that Israel’s obligation to end its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, is mandatory under international law. They stated that Israel must withdraw its troops, dismantle settlements, provide reparations to Palestinian victims, and facilitate the return of displaced people and humanitarian aid.
“As a UN member state, Israel must respect international humanitarian and human rights law,” the experts stressed. “Education must never be a target. The international community must ensure the protection of Palestinian children’s rights and accountability for violations.”
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