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AP PHOTOS: Israel police fire tear gas into Palestinian schoolyard in Jerusalem
A boy rubs his eye after tear gas was fired by Israeli Police into the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Israel has ordered six schools in East Jerusalem to close this week, throwing the educational future of 800 children of Palestinian refugees into turmoil.
A student reacts to tear gas fired by Israeli Police while he was playing soccer with classmates in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School, run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
A student reacts to tear gas fired by Israeli Police while he was playing soccer with classmates in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School, run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
A student runs from tear gas fired by Israeli Police into the yard of the UNRWA Boys School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, while he was playing soccer with his classmates in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
A student runs from tear gas fired by Israeli Police into the yard of the UNRWA Boys School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, while he was playing soccer with his classmates in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students and teachers react to tear gas fired by Israeli Police into in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.(AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Students and teachers react to tear gas fired by Israeli Police into in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.(AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Students react to tear gas fired by Israeli Police into the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students react to tear gas fired by Israeli Police into the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students participate in physical education at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students participate in physical education at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
A woman passes the front entrance to the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
A woman passes the front entrance to the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students snack during recess in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students snack during recess in the yard of the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students sit at their desks at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students sit at their desks at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Puppets and educational materials are displayed in teacher Doaa Zourba’s classroom at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Puppets and educational materials are displayed in teacher Doaa Zourba’s classroom at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students participate in physical education at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students participate in physical education at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students play outside during recess at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Students play outside during recess at the UNRWA Boys’ School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
In a visit to one of the schools — all run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA — Associated Press reporters witnessed Israeli police throw tear gas into the schoolyard as a group of boys played outside.
Children sprinted away from the gas, coughing, drooling and covering their eyes. Some stripped off their clothes while others donned disposable masks.
Israeli police said the incursion into the Shuafat refugee camp came in response to stone-throwing but denied directly targeting the school. Teachers and administrators said the firing of tear gas onto schools grounds is uncommon, but Israeli operations into the camp regularly interfere with learning.
Teacher Duaa Zourba ran to check on her students.
“As teachers in Shuafat, our first job has always been to ensure the protection and the safety of our kids,” she said. “Whenever there’s a raid, we close windows. We close doors so that they don’t smell very heavy tear gas.”