East Jerusalem schools told to close

Many UNRWA-run schools in Gaza have been damaged in the conflict or are used as temporary shelters. (file photo) © UNRWA

9 April 2025 - Six schools run by the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem have been issued “illegal closure orders” after being forcibly entered by Israeli security forces, according to the agency’s head Philippe Lazzarini.

The schools were told they must close within 30 days.

Mr. Lazzarini said that some 800 boys and girls are directly impacted by these closure orders and are likely to miss finishing their school year.

He noted that UNRWA schools are protected by the “privileges and immunities” of the United Nations. “These illegal closure orders come in the wake of Knesset [parliament of Israel] legislation seeking to curtail UNRWA operations.”

Aid access blocked in Gaza

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York that since Tuesday, the Israeli authorities have denied eight of 14 attempts by aid workers in Gaza to coordinate access to people needing urgent assistance.

Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire fell apart and hostilities recommenced on 18 March, the authorities have denied 68 per cent of the 170 attempts by UN aid workers to coordinate access.

“They also continue to reject all attempts to pick up supplies that were brought into Gaza and dropped at the crossings prior to the decision to shut those crossings on 2 March.”

Despite the increasingly challenging conditions, humanitarian partners have resumed services in northern Gaza, focusing on urgent case management, psychological first aid, and psychosocial support. – UN News