RAMALLAH, January 13, 2026 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated that the ongoing Israeli measures against the education sector in occupied Jerusalem, the latest of which was the denial of permits to hundreds of teachers and staff members holding West Bank IDs, constitute a serious and blatant violation of the right to education.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Ministry explained that these measures forced private schools in Jerusalem to suspend classes for the past two days to ensure the continuity of the educational process and the safety of their staff.

The Ministry considered this unjust decision to be part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining the components of Palestinian identity in the capital, and an extension of the campaigns of oppression, Judaization, and Israelization targeting the foundations of education in the holy city.

It affirmed that education in Jerusalem is a red line, emphasizing that the occupation's restrictions disrupt the rights to education and freedom of movement, and undermine the foundations of the educational process. It noted that it will pursue this issue with all local and international institutions to ensure the protection of the right to education and to support the resilience of schools, educational staff, and students in the face of these policies.

The Ministry called upon the international community and UN institutions, particularly UNESCO and UNICEF, to assume their responsibilities regarding these violations, which contravene international agreements, conventions, and relevant international resolutions.

K.T