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    • Principals and staff of UNWRA schools were found to be part of terrorist units
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    Principals and staff of UNWRA schools were found to be part of terrorist units

    Online Niel Posted on

    In July, Israeli intelligence released an exposé showing that more than 10 percent of UNRWA senior education staff in Gaza were members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

    The findings, also shared with UNRWA, were cited as casting a dark shadow over the organization’s claims to provide a neutral and non-extremist education to Palestinian children.

    Now, a detailed investigation by IMPACT has identified twelve UNRWA school principals and deputy principals as active members of militant organizations, many holding command positions in terrorist units.

    “This finding directly contradicts UNRWA chief Phillipe Lazzarini’s recent assurances to the UN General Assembly about his agency’s commitment to tolerant and anti-extremist education,” an IMPACT spokesperson said, speaking with The Jerusalem Post.

    “Bus Attack as a BBQ Party”

    The IMPACT investigation focused on five UNRWA schools, each run by individuals with confirmed links to militant organizations. For example, at Al Zaytun Boys’ Preparatory and Elementary Schools, Principal Mohammad Juma Shuwaideh was the team commander in that of Hamas Gaza Brigade of the military wing.

    Twelve UNRWA school principals who are members of the military wing of Hamas. (credit: IMPACT report)

    Similarly, both the principal and deputy principal of Al-Maghazi Preparatory School B for Boys, Khaled Said Mustafa Al-Massri and Ahmad Samir Mahmoud El-Khatib, respectively, served as squad commanders in Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade .

    One of the most alarming discoveries was the discovery of Hamas tunnels under two of these educational institutions – Al-Maghazi B Preparatory School for Boys and Al-Zaytun A Preparatory School for Boys.

    “This physical evidence of militant infrastructure directly beneath the classrooms raises serious questions about the exploitation of educational facilities for military purposes by Hamas,” the spokesman added.

    The investigation of school materials revealed profound educational practices within these schools.

    At Al-Zaytun School, fifth graders were taught to glorify Dalal Mughrabi, the terrorist responsible for the 1978 massacre that claimed 38 Israeli lives.

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    Classroom materials presented Mughrabi as a “struggle leader” and “hero,” encouraging students to name their children and streets after her.

    Educational content extends beyond historical revisionism to active incitement.

    The UNRWA-branded examination materials include questions stating that “Liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and making sacrifices for it is a duty for all Muslims.” At Al-Maghazi School, teaching materials celebrated violence, including a disturbing reference to a firebomb attack on an Israeli bus as a “barbeque party”.

    The manipulation of educational content appears systematic and crosses multiple domains.

    At the Ahmed Abdel Aziz school, maps erase Israel entirely, showing the entire territory as Palestine.

    Even the science lessons are weaponized – a unit on “liquid solutions” uses hunger strikes as teaching metaphors, complete with illustrations of handcuffed Palestinian prisoners and equations that form maps that exclude Israel.

    The social media platforms associated with these schools further amplify these messages.

    Al-Nuseirat School’s official Facebook group shared exams denying the existence of Israel and including grammar exercises based on militant phrases such as “O son of Palestine, fight your enemy with courage.”

    Similar content appears on the Al-Mughraqa School’s social media, where Israeli cities are consistently described as Palestinian territories.

    “Contributing to perpetuating conflict – rather than resolving it”

    “What makes these findings particularly worrying is UNRWA’s apparent inaction despite previous warnings,” the spokesperson added.

    “In March, IMPACT presented to UN Under-Secretary-General Catherine Colonna a comprehensive 245-page dossier detailing evidence of incitement to violence and anti-Semitism in two of these schools. However, no significant changes have been implemented.”

    “The implications of these findings extend far beyond educational concerns,” they added.

    “These UNRWA staff, who shaped the minds of thousands of Palestinian children, continued to receive salaries funded by international taxpayers, even after the attacks of October 7.

    This raises serious questions about the accountability of international aid and its potential misuse.”

    The spokesperson continued: “Our investigation suggests that, rather than isolated incidents, these cases represent a systemic problem within UNRWA’s education framework in Gaza.

    The combination of Hamas-affiliated leadership, militant-influenced curriculum, and the physical presence of terrorist infrastructure inside the school points to a deep-rooted problem that requires immediate international attention.

    “This investigation comes at a critical time when UNRWA’s role and effectiveness are under intense scrutiny, and the failure of the organization to address these issues, despite repeated warnings and evidence, raises fundamental questions about its ability to fulfill mandate to provide neutral, quality. the education of Palestinian children.

    The findings of this investigation suggest that UNRWA’s education system in Gaza may be contributing to perpetuating conflict rather than promoting peace.

    Given that terrorist organizations wield significant influence over educational content and administration, the international community faces urgent questions about how to ensure that humanitarian aid and educational support truly serve their intended purposes without being co-opted by militant groups.

    IMPACT CEO Marcus Sheff said: “We are deeply concerned, though not surprised, by the ongoing revelations of terrorist links within UNRWA’s education system, as revealed in IMPACT’s latest report -se”.

    “UNRWA has repeatedly failed to act despite mounting evidence and repeated warnings about the deep influence of terrorist groups on UNRWA schools. It’s not just about accountability, it’s about protecting young minds from an education that fuels hatred and extremism. Once again, it’s obvious. that UNRWA’s education system is not fit for purpose,” he added.



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