Written by Nadia Annous
The school year has just started for Palestinian children, and not even a week has passed, and students have been victims of grave violations of children’s right to education.
Yesterday, Israeli Settlers detained an entire class of Palestinian children during their route to school. The children and their teachers were detained at an illegal checkpoint in Hebron.
Frequent instances of movement constraints have become a common occurrence in the West Bank. This recent incident is not the first case of students and educators facing detainment; some have even been held for over six hours resulting in arrests.
The Israeli forces have been exercising violations against human rights, the right to education and child rights. The limited accountability has made it easier for Israeli settlers to commit their apartheid against Palestinians, including demolishing schools in recent weeks.
The Bedouin town of Ramallah has lost its sole educational institution, Ras Al-teen School, which was recently razed to the ground. Israeli forces had targeted the school numerous times before its destruction on Thursday, August 17th, 2023.
The school accommodated approximately 50 students who now have lost their chance to attend school.
Palestinians already have limited access to education and educational facilities, and the Israeli forces are making it more difficult for Palestinian children to have a proper education. The West Bank has been experiencing deliberate attacks on schools to make room for new Jewish settlements that are state-approved but illegal according to International Law. Approximately 475,000 Jewish settlers are now occupying the West Bank.
The International community should condemn these violations and bring justice to Palestinian children across the West Bank. The United Nations should impose sanctions as this is a crime and a violation of International Law and treaties for which Israel should be held responsible.
References:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230822-entire-class-of-palestinian-schoolchildren-detained-at-israeli-checkpoint/
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230821-after-israel-demolished-their-school-palestinian-students-study-in-the-open-air/
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-demolish-bedouin-school
https://www.refworld.org/docid/5be9430b13.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/some-west-bank-schools-looming-displacement-disrupts-return-class-2022-09-22/
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