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Armed Israeli security forces have forced the closure of three schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem.
Hundreds of Palestinian students were sent home from the schools in Shuafat refugee camp just after classes began on Thursday morning.
Unrwa's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, said Israeli authorities were denying children their basic right to learn and accused them of a "blatant disregard of international law".
An Israeli ban on Unrwa took effect earlier this year and Israel accuses the agency of being infiltrated by Hamas. Unrwa denies this claim and insists on its impartiality.
