Gaza UNRWA teacher alleges threats after challenging pro-Hamas rhetoric

A Gaza-based teacher employed by the U.N. agency UNRWA says a school administrator threatened her with scissors after she challenged what she described as pro-Hamas rhetoric directed at students. The teacher, identified only as “T” in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, said she feared for her safety and did not file a formal complaint.

Her allegations raise questions about how staff can report suspected political or religious indoctrination in schools operating in a conflict zone. T said she believed students deserved to learn without being pushed toward further conflict. Whether UNRWA investigated the alleged threat was not stated.

What the teacher alleges

T said she had repeatedly challenged teachers whom she believed were promoting extremist ideas to children. She described a heated argument with a female teacher over those views, followed by a confrontation with a school administrator.

According to T, the administrator pushed her into a room, took scissors from his pocket and threatened, “I'll cut your tongue out if you ever mention Hamas again.” The account is an allegation from an anonymous employee; the incident has not been independently established here. T also stressed that she did not believe all UNRWA employees supported or were affiliated with Hamas.

Why she says she stayed silent

T said she did not trust that a complaint to UNRWA would remain confidential or that the agency could protect her. She said she feared that speaking out could expose her to greater danger, including threats to her family. “For me, this was not simply a matter of administrative procedures or filing an official complaint. It was a matter of life and death,” she told the Post.

She said UNRWA operates under Hamas influence in Gaza and argued that the agency had not set sufficiently strict boundaries for teachers or established adequate safeguards for whistleblowers. At the same time, she said UNRWA must navigate a difficult political environment and should not be blamed for creating the culture she described. The account did not include a response from the agency.

This report draws on information from The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.