Israel denies educational supplies into Gaza

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

Today, the United Nations has directly reported that Israeli authorities are restricting the entry of educational supplies into Gaza, as they “are not a critical activity during the first phase of the ceasefire.”

In his briefing, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, revealed increased activity by United Nations education partners on the ground in Gaza. Dujarric noted that these educational partners have been “expanding their presence with 18 additional temporary learning spaces opening their doors last week to about 35,000 students.” This brings the total number of operational learning spaces in Gaza to 440, accommodating around 268,000 children.

Despite the proliferation of these learning facilities, which are critical to both United Nations humanitarian operations and the foundational revitalization of the war-torn occupied strip, Dujarric noted that Israeli authorities are blocking the entry of educational supplies. He added, “Our partners say that education supplies continue to be denied entry by the Israeli authorities on the grounds that education is not a critical activity during the first phase of the ceasefire.” The UN strongly condemns this denial, asserting that educational reform and the availability of learning centers constitute a very “critical activity.”

When asked specifically what educational supplies Israeli authorities were blocking, the Spokesperson explained, “My understanding is, it’s stuff you need to run a classroom, whether it’s blackboards, if those things are still used, and kits for students. You know, we have… our colleagues at UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and other agencies well-versed in bringing minimum kits to help students get back on track.”

Israeli authorities’ dismissal of educational supplies as a non-critical necessity during the ceasefire’s initial phase raises questions about the legitimacy of the alleged peace deal. Since the declaration of the peace deal on October 10th, 2025, Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 1,193 times, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Additionally, as of today, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that since the ceasefire deal, Israeli authorities have killed at least 442 Palestinians and injured another 1,240.