Jordan condemns Israeli closure orders against six UNRWA-administrated schools in Jerusalem

AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned the closure orders issued by Israel against six UNRWA-operated schools in Jerusalem’s Shaafat,, Silwan, Wadi Al Jawz, and Sur Baher neighborhoods as a “blatant violation of international law and a clear breach of immunities and privileges granted by the United Nations.”

The ministry’s spokesperson Sufyan Qudah voiced the Kingdom's “absolute rejection and denunciation of the decision to close the schools, which will deprive around 800 students from completing the school year. “

The ministry denounced the move as a “continuation of the Israeli systematic campaign targeting the work of UNRWA in occupied Jerusalem.”

Qudah said that the agency is facing “political assassination, aimed at undermining its symbolic role, which affirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return and receive compensation under international law.”

He said that the Israeli’s closure orders fell within scheme to deny the Palestinian people their rights and vital services, as recognised by the international community and relevant UN resolutions. 

Qudah warned of the “catastrophic”consequences of Israel's illegal actions against UNRWA and its institutions, which provide essential and irreplaceable services, calling  on the international community to exercise pressure on Israel to halt its actions targeting UNRWA, which “plays a critical and vital role that cannot be replaced or substituted, and provide the necessary political and financial support for the agency to continue offering vital services to Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation, as mandated by its UN mandate.”