On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces demolished a primary school in Isfey Al-Fouqa attended by 22 students from neighbouring communities in the occupied West Bank. Classes were in session when Israeli soldiers arrived at the site with bulldozers. Soldiers threw sound bombs at the school to force the children to leave before demolishing the building.
“When the dust settles on a school that is now turned into rubble, 22 Palestinian children will wonder what they have done to deserve to have their school knocked down by Israeli bulldozers,” said Caroline Ort, NRC’s Country Director for Palestine. “The school in Isfey Al-Fouqa in Masafer Yatta was the only place providing education in the area.”
“Education must not be used as a weapon to destroy the future of young Palestinians. NRC, alongside its partners, will continue to provide support to those affected and urge Israel to abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law,” Ort added.
The school was built earlier this year to provide children in the area with quality and safe education. Prior to its establishment, children from the area travelled on unsafe roads near settlements to attend school.
There are currently 57 schools under threat of demolition in the occupied West Bank. Around 6,500 students who go to these schools are at risk of losing access to education, according to the Education Cluster.