To stop the crimes of the occupation against education and educational facilities in the Palestinian territories

The Israeli occupation continues to demolish Palestinian homes and facilities throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, without discrimination, within the framework of the policy of deportation, ethnic cleansing, and racial discrimination that it practices against the Palestinian people, which contradicts international humanitarian law and the International Bill of Human Rights.

Within the framework of this aggressive colonial policy, the occupation government is demolishing schools and educational facilities, aiming to ignore the Palestinian people and undermine the right of students to education, in contravention of the right to education, which is considered a basic human right, and which was affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, And the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as the Israeli occupation forces demolished, last Wednesday evening, 11/5/2023, the Al-Tahadi School 5 in the “Jib al-Dhib” area in Beit Ta’mar, east of Bethlehem, for the second time this week and the third since its establishment. A force of the occupation army, accompanied by a large truck, stormed the Jubb Al-Dib area, and surrounded the Al-Tahadi 5 School, which was rebuilt with two tents, and closed the place tightly, and prevented citizens from reaching the school, before demolishing it.

It is noteworthy that the occupation forces demolished this school, in which 60 students are studying, earlier, before the Wall Resistance Commission and the people of Beit Tamar rebuilt it. It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation authorities demolished 11 schools, since 2016, and the last one was a school more than two weeks ago. "Challenge 5" mixed basic in the "Jub Al Dheeb" area. After the occupation demolished it when it was established in 2017, claiming that it was built without a permit.

It is noteworthy that the occupation's demolition of Al-Tahadi schools, which was established by the Ministry of Education in Area C, began in 2016 with the demolition of the Berain Elementary Mixed School, north of Hebron. In 2018, the occupation demolished four schools under the pretext of building without a permit, and they are: Abu Nuwara Mixed Elementary School in the outskirts of Jerusalem, Zanouta Mixed Elementary School in southern Hebron, Al-Semia Mixed Elementary School in southern Hebron, and Ibziq Mixed Elementary School in Tubas.

In 2021, the occupation also demolished a school under construction in the town of Beit Hanina in the Jerusalem Governorate, and the Al-Maleh Basic Mixed School in the Tubas Governorate, and last year the occupation demolished the Umm Qassah and Isfi schools in Masafer Yatta in the Hebron Governorate. It is reported that all 32 challenge schools are threatened demolition, in addition to the fact that the total number of schools threatened with demolition is 58, all of which are located in Area C. The “Challenge Schools” were named by this name, to emphasize the continuity of providing education to children in marginalized areas and those classified as “C”, in which they are not allowed. The occupation authorities, building schools in. The occupation authorities prevent any change or construction in Area C, which includes 61% of the area of the West Bank, without a permit, and it is almost impossible to obtain it.

It is clear that the occupation government is committing a massacre of demolitions against the “Al-Tahaddi” schools with the aim of fighting education and obstructing the access of children and students to their schools and depriving them of receiving their education in a safe and stable educational environment, especially in communities where students need to travel long distances on foot to reach their school.

These crimes committed by the occupation against education are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity, and they must be stopped immediately, but the occupation finds in the silence of the international community on them an encouragement for it to continue this policy that has no deterrent or punishment for it, and that it is sufficient to condemn these crimes by society and organizations Despite its importance, it is not enough to stop these crimes, as expressed by many regional and international organizations, including what was expressed by the European Union spokesperson in Palestine, Shadi Othman, about the Union’s shock at the Israeli authorities’ demolition of the school funded by it because more than 60 Palestinian children They will be affected by that, and Othman stressed that the demolitions are illegal under international law, stressing that children's right to education must be respected, stressing the need for the occupation government to stop all demolitions and evictions that will lead to an increase in the suffering of the Palestinian population, and to an escalation of the situation in an already tense environment.

Stopping these crimes committed by the occupation requires strong, effective and effective Palestinian, Arab and international action that would deter the occupation, prevent it from continuing these crimes, and prosecute those who commit them before the international criminal courts, especially before the International Criminal Court, which must assume its legal responsibility and deal with credibility and integrity. With the cases referred to it, far from double standards, as was evident in its handling of the Russian-Ukrainian war claims.