Latest news with #UNAgencyforPalestinianRefugees
Middle East Eye
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel shuts Unrwa schools in occupied East Jerusalem
Israeli police forcibly closed schools operated by the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa) in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning, escalating tensions and sparking fears of attacks on students and teachers. The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the closures as 'a crime against education and is part of a systematic and ongoing assault on education in Jerusalem'. Deploying forces around school premises, Israel issued evacuation and closure orders, actions the ministry decried as violating international laws, including the right to education and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The order was issued by the Israeli Ministry of Education, which claimed the schools were operating without licences. This means around 800 children will receive no education, only weeks before the end of the school year. Instead, they will be set adrift in the East Jerusalem school system, which is already plagued by classroom shortages and funding cuts. Since the 1950s, Unrwa has run schools and medical clinics in East Jerusalem, which Israel seized during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.
Middle East Eye
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli offensive on occupied West Bank sees most Palestinians displaced there since 1967 War
Israel's deadly offensive on the occupied West Bank has displaced about 45,000 Palestinians from their homes, according to human rights experts, more than any time since the 1967 War. Israel has been waging a brutal offensive on the occupied territory since the summer when Israeli troops landed in northern parts of the occupied West Bank in military helicopters and large convoys of armoured vehicles, attacking the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas. Israel escalated its attacks further after a shaky ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was signed in January. The same month, Israel's military started a new offensive on Jenin and its surrounding areas, killing 25 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa), said that Israel launched at least 38 air strikes in the occupied West Bank since January, a substantial escalation. Air strikes were extremely rare in the occupied West Bank until 2024. Israel has focused its fire on refugee camps like Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas. They are home to the descendants of Palestinians uprooted during the 1948 Nakba, Arabic for the catastrophe, when the state of Israel was created. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Around 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes by Zionist militias during the 1948 Nakba. Today, their descendants make up the seven million Palestinian refugees worldwide. About a million of those live in the occupied West Bank, around a quarter of which live in 19 refugee camps. The International Federation For Human Rights said in February that around 45,000 Palestinians had been displaced from northern parts of the occupied West Bank. Unrwa said that several refugee camps have been "nearly emptied of their residents', adding that this is the longest campaign in the territory since the 2000-2005 Second Intifada. It also marks the most destabilising time since the 1967 War when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced. About 95 percent of those Palestinians fled to Jordan, and a smaller number travelled to Syria and Lebanon, human rights experts note. The offensive comes amid Israeli efforts to deepen its occupation of the territory, amid what experts warn is a threat of annexation. In February, the Israeli army issued two edicts to confiscate more than 10,000 dunums (1,000 hectares) of land in the occupied West Bank. Referred to as 'temporary military decisions", the army is targeting 8,734 dunums in the Tubas areas and 2,394 dunums in several villages east of Ramallah.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Israel's ban on UNRWA in Jerusalem and the West Bank comes into effect
A ban preventing UNRWA, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, from operating in Occupied East Jerusalem and Israel has come into force today. The highly controversial move came into force after the Israeli Parliament , and after a legal challenge to pause the ban was rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court on Wednesday. accuses UNRWA of having close links to Hamas in Gaza, which the organisation denies. Nine UNRWA employees were sacked for taking part in the 7 October attacks. Many donor countries initially suspended funding but most, including the UK, have since reinstated it. "UNRWA equals Hamas," an Israeli government spokesman said yesterday. "Israel has made public irrefutable evidence UNRWA is riddled with Hamas operatives." No evidence has been presented of those links existing in Jerusalem or the West Bank. In the Shuafat refugee camp close to Jerusalem, Palestinian patients told us they were angry and concerned by the loss of vital services. "I'm against this decision, we're all against it, the whole camp," said Amal. "Everyone has benefited from this clinic. Both West Bank and Jerusalem residents. "I've been coming here ever since I was a little girl, we've gotten used to coming here. This really doesn't work for us." Another patient, Mohammed, was carrying boxes of prescription medicine, paid for by UNRWA because he couldn't afford them himself. "I have a chronic disease and I rely on a monthly prescription," he told us. "My children get treated here; their children get vaccinated. "And all of this is for free. I could not afford this medicine otherwise." Although the ban only concerns operations in Occupied East Jerusalem, Israel has also severed communication with the Agency and revoked the visas of international staff, making it extremely hard to continue services in Gaza and the West Bank. Almost all of the two million residents of Gaza rely on UNRWA in some form. UNRWA has contacts on the ground that no other agency has or could replicate in the current crisis. Read more: Following the vote to ban UNRWA, the Head of the World Food Programme Cindy McCain described the agency as "indispensable" and tweeted that "the decision will have devastating consequences on food security." UNRWA, which was established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, provides medical services to at least 70,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem and runs schools for thousands of pupils as well as maintaining streets and carrying out waste disposal. Israel says those pupils will now be transferred to municipality schools but UNRWA says there has been little to no coordination around who will replace other services. "We have not been given any indications of plans or indeed proposals by the Israeli authorities, not in East Jerusalem, also not in the West Bank," UNRWA's director of West Bank operations Roland Friedrich told Sky News. He added: "It is very concerning because it doesn't allow us to basically coordinate, prepare and in fact, to try to see how things can be done going forward. "The collapse of UNRWA in the West Bank and in fact also in the Gaza Strip cannot be in the interest of anybody, not of Israelis, not of Palestinians, not of neighbouring countries, and clearly also not for those who care about the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip."
Ammon
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
Dear World: This is what Palestinian unity looks like
Even those of us who have long emphasized the importance of the Palestinian people's voice, experience and collective action in Palestinian history must have been shocked by the cultural revolution resulting from the Israeli war on Gaza. By cultural revolution, I mean the defiant and rebellious narrative evolving in Gaza, where people see themselves as active participants in the popular resistance, not just mere victims of the Israeli war machine. When the ceasefire was announced on the 471st day of the Israeli genocide, Gazans rushed to the streets in celebration. Media outlets reported that they were celebrating the ceasefire, but judging by their chants, songs, and symbolisms, they were celebrating their collective victory, steadfastness (sumud), and resilience against the powerful Israeli army, supported by the US and other Western countries. Using basic means, they rushed to clean their streets, clearing debris to allow the displaced to search for homes. Though their homes were destroyed, (90 per cent of Gaza's housing units, according to the United Nations), they were still happy, even to sit on the wreckage. Some prayed atop concrete slabs, some sang in large, growing crowds, and others cried but insisted no power could ever uproot them from Palestine again. Social media was flooded with Gazans expressing a mix of emotions, though they were mostly defiant, expressing their resolve not just in political terms but in other ways, including humor. Of course, the bodybuilders returned to their gyms to find them mostly destroyed. Rather than lament their losses, they salvaged machines and resumed training amid collapsed walls and ceilings punctured by Israeli missiles. There was also the father and son who composed a song in the ahazej style, a traditional Levantine vocalization. The son, overjoyed to find his father alive, was reassured by his father that they would never abandon their homeland. As for the children, 14,500 of whom were killed, according to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), they resumed their childhood. They claimed destroyed Israeli tanks in Rafah, Beit Hanoun, and elsewhere as their new playgrounds. One teenager, pretending to be a scrap metal salesman, yelled, 'An Israeli Merkava tank for sale,' as his friends filmed and laughed. He finished by saying, 'Make sure you send this video to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu,' before moving on, unfazed. This does not mean Gaza is free of unimaginable pain, which is difficult for the rest of the world to fully comprehend. The emotional and psychological scars of the war will last a lifetime, and many will never recover fully from the trauma. But Gazans know they cannot afford to grieve in the usual way. So, they emphasize their identity, unity, and defiance as ways to overcome grief. Parallel to its military assault on Gaza since October 7, 2023, Israel has invested heavily in dividing the Palestinian people and shattering their spirit. In Gaza, it dropped millions of flyers from warplanes on starving refugees, urging them to rebel against Palestinian factions by providing Israel with names of "troublemakers." The Israeli army offered large rewards for information, but little was achieved. These flyers also called for tribal leaders to take control of their areas in exchange for food and protection. To punish those who resisted, Israel systematically killed clan representatives and councilors who tried to distribute aid throughout Gaza, especially in the north where famine was devastating. Against overwhelming odds, Palestinians remained united. When the ceasefire was declared, they celebrated as one nation. With Gaza destroyed, Israel's actions obliterated Gaza's class, regional, ideological, and political divisions. Everyone in Gaza became a refugee; the rich, poor, Muslim, Christian, city dwellers and refugee camp residents were all equally affected. The unity that remains in Gaza, after one of the most horrific genocides in modern history, should serve as a wake-up call. The narrative that Palestinians are divided and need to "find common ground" has proven false. With the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank aiding Israel's war on Jenin and other refugee camps, the old notion of political unity through a merger of the PA and various Palestinian factions is no longer viable. The reality is that the fragmentation of the Palestinian political landscape cannot be solved through mere political agreements or negotiations between factions. However, a different kind of unity has already taken root in Gaza and, by extension, across Palestinian communities in occupied Palestine and the rest of the world. This unity is visible in the millions of Palestinians who have demonstrated against the war, chanted for Gaza, cried for Gaza, and developed a new political discourse around it. This unity does not rely on talking heads on Arabic satellite channels or secret meetings in expensive hotels. It needs no diplomatic talks. Years of endless discussions, "unity documents," and fiery speeches only led to disappointment. The true unity has already been achieved, felt in the voices of ordinary Gazans who no longer identify as members of factions. They are Gazzawiyya. Palestinians from Gaza, and nothing else. This is the true unity that must now form the foundation of a new discourse. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak out'. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is
Jordan Times
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Dear World: This is what Palestinian unity looks like
Even those of us who have long emphasized the importance of the Palestinian people's voice, experience and collective action in Palestinian history must have been shocked by the cultural revolution resulting from the Israeli war on Gaza. By cultural revolution, I mean the defiant and rebellious narrative evolving in Gaza, where people see themselves as active participants in the popular resistance, not just mere victims of the Israeli war machine. When the ceasefire was announced on the 471st day of the Israeli genocide, Gazans rushed to the streets in celebration. Media outlets reported that they were celebrating the ceasefire, but judging by their chants, songs, and symbolisms, they were celebrating their collective victory, steadfastness (sumud), and resilience against the powerful Israeli army, supported by the US and other Western countries. Using basic means, they rushed to clean their streets, clearing debris to allow the displaced to search for homes. Though their homes were destroyed, (90 per cent of Gaza's housing units, according to the United Nations), they were still happy, even to sit on the wreckage. Some prayed atop concrete slabs, some sang in large, growing crowds, and others cried but insisted no power could ever uproot them from Palestine again. Social media was flooded with Gazans expressing a mix of emotions, though they were mostly defiant, expressing their resolve not just in political terms but in other ways, including humor. Of course, the bodybuilders returned to their gyms to find them mostly destroyed. Rather than lament their losses, they salvaged machines and resumed training amid collapsed walls and ceilings punctured by Israeli missiles. There was also the father and son who composed a song in the ahazej style, a traditional Levantine vocalization. The son, overjoyed to find his father alive, was reassured by his father that they would never abandon their homeland. As for the children, 14,500 of whom were killed, according to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), they resumed their childhood. They claimed destroyed Israeli tanks in Rafah, Beit Hanoun, and elsewhere as their new playgrounds. One teenager, pretending to be a scrap metal salesman, yelled, 'An Israeli Merkava tank for sale,' as his friends filmed and laughed. He finished by saying, 'Make sure you send this video to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu,' before moving on, unfazed. This does not mean Gaza is free of unimaginable pain, which is difficult for the rest of the world to fully comprehend. The emotional and psychological scars of the war will last a lifetime, and many will never recover fully from the trauma. But Gazans know they cannot afford to grieve in the usual way. So, they emphasize their identity, unity, and defiance as ways to overcome grief. Parallel to its military assault on Gaza since October 7, 2023, Israel has invested heavily in dividing the Palestinian people and shattering their spirit. In Gaza, it dropped millions of flyers from warplanes on starving refugees, urging them to rebel against Palestinian factions by providing Israel with names of "troublemakers." The Israeli army offered large rewards for information, but little was achieved. These flyers also called for tribal leaders to take control of their areas in exchange for food and protection. To punish those who resisted, Israel systematically killed clan representatives and councilors who tried to distribute aid throughout Gaza, especially in the north where famine was devastating. Against overwhelming odds, Palestinians remained united. When the ceasefire was declared, they celebrated as one nation. With Gaza destroyed, Israel's actions obliterated Gaza's class, regional, ideological, and political divisions. Everyone in Gaza became a refugee; the rich, poor, Muslim, Christian, city dwellers and refugee camp residents were all equally affected. The unity that remains in Gaza, after one of the most horrific genocides in modern history, should serve as a wake-up call. The narrative that Palestinians are divided and need to "find common ground" has proven false. With the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank aiding Israel's war on Jenin and other refugee camps, the old notion of political unity through a merger of the PA and various Palestinian factions is no longer viable. The reality is that the fragmentation of the Palestinian political landscape cannot be solved through mere political agreements or negotiations between factions. However, a different kind of unity has already taken root in Gaza and, by extension, across Palestinian communities in occupied Palestine and the rest of the world. This unity is visible in the millions of Palestinians who have demonstrated against the war, chanted for Gaza, cried for Gaza, and developed a new political discourse around it. This unity does not rely on talking heads on Arabic satellite channels or secret meetings in expensive hotels. It needs no diplomatic talks. Years of endless discussions, "unity documents," and fiery speeches only led to disappointment. The true unity has already been achieved, felt in the voices of ordinary Gazans who no longer identify as members of factions. They are Gazzawiyya. Palestinians from Gaza, and nothing else. This is the true unity that must now form the foundation of a new discourse. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak out'. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is
