UNRWA vocational college in East Jerusalem faces potential closure by Israel

AI-summarized · Neutrality-checked

Israeli military and police forces, accompanied by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, raided and shuttered the UNRWA Qalandiya Training Centre in occupied East Jerusalem, expelling 40 staff members. The facility, which has served Palestinian refugees for over seven decades, provided vocational training to approximately 340 students annually with a 90% employment success rate. While the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the land would be repurposed into a municipal educational complex, UNRWA maintained that the site is protected by international law and that Israel lacks sovereign jurisdiction over the occupied territory.

Consequences

The closure deprives hundreds of Palestinian refugees of access to vocational training and diplomas in fields such as telecommunications and carpentry. The indefinite disruption threatens the educational and career trajectories of incoming students, as the facility remains off-limits following six reported raids this year.

Sources

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