In another stark blow to Palestinian rights, Israeli authorities have ordered the closure of six UNRWA-run schools in occupied Jerusalem, threatening the education of thousands of children. The decision, to be enforced within 30 days, comes in the wake of newly enacted Israeli legislation banning the agency’s operations, in a clear attempt to erase the presence of Palestinian institutions from the city.

The targeted schools have long served as a vital educational refuge for Palestinian youth in a city where access to fair and equal schooling is already severely restricted. Many families rely on UNRWA schools not just for education, but for stability and a sense of belonging. Now, they are left grappling with uncertainty, as Israel moves forward with policies that observers warn are designed to marginalise Palestinians and strip them of their most basic rights.

These closures are not isolated measures—they form part of a wider campaign to delegitimise UNRWA and dismantle the fragile support system on which millions of Palestinian refugees depend. While Israeli officials claim security concerns, the agency has received no credible evidence to justify such sweeping action. What remains clear is the intent: to suffocate Palestinian identity by targeting the institutions that uphold it.

International condemnation has grown, but statements alone cannot shield students from the fallout of this decision. As classrooms fall silent and futures are thrown into jeopardy, Palestinian children in Jerusalem are once again paying the price for a political agenda rooted in dispossession and control. What is unfolding is not only a violation of international law—it is an assault on the right to learn, to dream, and to exist with dignity.