The Israeli government has rejected the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) request to build a number of schools inside the Gaza Strip, claiming the building would be “defenses” Hamas. The UNRWA says they had to reject 40,000 students in the strip this year because of lack of space.

Israel damaged or destroyed a large number of buildings, including schools, during the 2008-09 invasion of the Gaza Strip, and has largely blocked the importation of construction material since, leaving the strip in ruins.

Israel’s Defense Ministry confirmed the rejection of the construction, saying it was “shocked” that the UNRWA even sought the approval and that the schools would be used by Hamas “in its terrorist war against Israel.”

In the absence of more UNRWA schools, the group warned, the students will end up in Hamas-run schools. Israel insists that it supports the UNRWA school program in principle, but opposed the locations of them.