Ramallah -The Palestinian Ministry of Education denounced today the Israeli plans to end the services of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem.

The ministry said in a statement that UNRWA operates seven schools in East Jerusalem that serve 1,800 students, as well as vocational training centers, playgrounds and health clinics.

The ministry warned of serious consequences in the lives of Palestinian refugees in the city if the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem goes ahead and closes the operations of the UN agency.

The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, said last Friday that he is considering ending UNRWA´s presence in the city, and handing over his services to the municipality's authorities.

This decision is part of an aggressive campaign launched by the Israeli occupation to Judaize Jerusalem and erase its Palestinian identity, especially targeting the education sector in the Holy City, the ministry said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Education denounced that the decision to close UNRWA operations in Jerusalem is a blatant challenge to the United Nations and its institutions; that agency was established in 1949 by a UN resolution.