Gaza terror factions declared Tuesday that they will not agree to changes in school textbooks introduced by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian Authority refugees that undercut the “Palestinian national identity,” according to the PA’s official WAFA news agency.
They said UNRWA introduced new terms that weaken the students’ understanding of their identity and culture, but did not specify which terms they objected to.
The factions called on UNRWA not to introduce anything in the schools it runs that would influence the student’s relationship to his land, identity and culture.
Gaza is still led by the Hamas terrorist group, despite the ongoing process of reconciliation with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority’s leading Fatah faction.
Gaza terror factions told WAFA the UN agency should not meddle with the school curriculum and should teach it without any changes.
They added that UNRWA “created a conflict when it decided to change terms in the curriculum under the guise of neutrality and enriching the student’s knowledge.”
According to the Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA), the Gaza factions accused Israel and its allies of “pressuring the Palestinians and UNRWA to change the school curriculum in a manner that would remove any reference to their history, particularly since the Israeli occupation of their land or struggle for independence.”