The Maldives has strongly condemned the decision by the Israeli occupation authorities to close six schools affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem.
In a statement, the Maldives reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the universal right to education, which is firmly upheld under international human rights and humanitarian law.
It said that the deliberate targeting and closure of educational institutions by the Israeli authorities, including schools operated by UNRWA, represents a grave violation of international legal norms and an unacceptable politicisation of the education of Palestinian children.
The statement also said that such actions threaten the future of countless innocent students and further intensify the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Maldives called for the immediate reversal of these measures and the protection of schools as safe spaces, free from conflict and coercion.
The Maldives reiterated its call for the international community to uphold its responsibilities and take concrete steps to hold Israel accountable for its continued violations of international law.
It also reaffirmed its firm and consistent support for the just and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
