Israeli forces raid UNRWA schools in West Bank, East Jerusalem

Israeli forces on Tuesday stormed several schools operated by the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in the occupied West Bank, a day after the Israeli prime minister ordered the “immediate” enforcement of controversial legislation that outlaws the organisation.

Security forces fired tear gas and sound bombs during an assault on the UN agency’s training centre in Qalandia, UNRWA Director-General Phillippe Lazzarini said.

Officers forcefully entered the premises and ordered the more than 350 students and 30 staff members to immediately evacuate, he wrote in a post on X.

In a separate incident, Israeli police raided three UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem, affecting 250 children.

“This is a violation of the basic right to education as well as of UN privileges and immunities,” Lazzarini wrote.

“UNRWA stands firm in the face of intimidation against its services in occupied East Jerusalem,” the agency’s West Bank director, Roland Friedrich, wrote on X.

“UNRWA is committed to stay and deliver, and to continue critical services for Palestinian refugees, including education.”

The raids came a few hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered authorities to “immediately” enforce the law banning the agency that came into effect at the end of January.

“There are no restrictions” on the implementation of the law, the prime minister’s office said in a statement Monday.

Two bills passed by the Knesset last year banned UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories in a move the agency said will deprive millions of Palestinians of essential services and jeopardise humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

The 75-year-old agency agreed to close its head office in Jerusalem last month in accordance with the legislation but has continued to provide services to Palestinians and distribute aid in Gaza.

UNRWA operates a wide network of schools, healthcare facilities, and social services centres that provide vital support to more than 900,000 Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank.

The decision to ban the organisation came after Israeli politicians accused the agency of supporting terrorism and claimed several of its members participated in the 7 October attack.

An independent report commissioned by the UN last year said that Israel has not provided any evidence to support its claims.

Israel has said it will not provide the services once UNRWA leaves but has not detailed how it will implement the legislation.

UK denies Israeli media claims about UNRWA funding cut in wake of allegations

The British government has denied reports that it is considering suspending funding from UNRWA in response to recent allegations made against the organisation but said it would not rule out reducing financial support following the upcoming annual spending review.

Reports in Israeli media earlier this week had suggested that Prime Minister Keir Starmer could withhold funding from the agency after recently freed Israeli captive Emily Damari told him that Hamas had allegedly held her prisoner in a UNRWA facility.

Israel has renewed calls on UNRWA’s donors to suspend funding in response to the allegations, which it says was evidence that the agency supports “terrorism”.

Italy announced last week that it would join the US in cutting ties with UNRWA following the allegations though there were no signs that other donors will follow suit.

In response to an inquiry by The New Arab the UK Foreign Office denied that the government was considering withholding funding for political reasons and affirmed its support for the UN agency, but said that the annual £16 million allocation to the UN agency would be included in the spending review.

“The upcoming spending review will ensure that all taxpayer money is focussed firmly on the government’s plan for change – this includes strengthening our national security in an unstable world,” a government spokesperson said.

“The flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza is a necessity and it is the aid agencies that ensure UK support reaches the civilians in need on the ground.”

The government declined to comment on the spending review, which is due to be published in a few months.

The British government joined the US and other Western countries in suspending donations to UNRWA in January 2024 after Israel accused a number of its staff of participating in the 7 October attack. It later restored funding in July following the election of the Labour Party.

UNRWA called Damari’s allegations “deeply disturbing and shocking” and called for an independent investigation.

The agency’s director-general, Phillippe Lazzarini, has repeatedly accused Israel of mounting a disinformation campaign to undermine the organisation.

Israel’s onslaught of the besieged enclave had displaced two million Palestinians