On the morning of Thursday, Israeli occupation forces stormed schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, as the decision to close them officially came into effect. The forces posted military orders demanding the evacuation and closure of the schools and ordered students and educational staff to leave the premises immediately.

Israeli police forces were deployed around and inside the school grounds, creating a state of extreme tension and raising fears of potential assaults against students and teachers, as part of a systematic Israeli escalation targeting Palestinian educational institutions in the city.

Earlier, at the beginning of April, the Israeli authorities had delivered a military order to the principal of the girls’ school in Shuafat refugee camp, mandating the school’s closure effective May 8, 2025, under the pretext of “lacking a legal permit.” The order prohibits anyone from entering the school buildings after that date and considers any violation a “criminal offense.”

The closure order also affects five other UNRWA schools located in Silwan, Wadi al-Joz, and Sur Baher, where more than 800 students currently receive their education.