LONDON: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Israeli authorities’ decision to close six schools of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in Jerusalem.

The OIC condemned Israel’s decision as an illegal attempt to undermine the UN agency’s role in the occupied city, calling it a blatant violation of the UN Charter and Resolution 302 (IV), which established the agency’s mandate in December 1949.

In 2024, Israel passed a law that prohibits the operations of UNRWA in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in the demolition or damage of numerous UNRWA schools and health centers.

On Tuesday, Israeli authorities notified six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem’s neighborhoods of Shuafat, Silwan, Sur Baher, and Wadi Al-Joz that they will be closed within 30 days.

The OIC said the decision would deprive Palestinian refugee children of their fundamental right to education and seek instead to impose the Israeli curriculum on them.

The OIC urged all states to support UNRWA with political, financial, and legal assistance to continue serving millions of Palestinian refugees and protecting their rights, as outlined in UN Resolution 194, the Wafa news agency reported.