[News] Palestinian students attend classroom in tents after Israeli forces demolish their school

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.pnn.ps <https://english.pnn.ps/news/46039>
Palestinian students attend classroom in tents after Israeli forces
demolish their school
Palestine News Network (PNN) - May 8, 2023
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Bethlehem / PNN / Monjed Jadou

School resumes at Al-Tahadi 5 “Challenge 5” school in the village of Jab
al-Dheeb in the Beit Tittmar area to the east of Bethlehem after it was
demolished by occupation forces yesterday, Sunday.

The Palestinian Ministry of Education, and the Wall Resistance Authority
have set up tents in place of the demolished school, where attendance
resumed this morning in the presence of the Bethlehem Director General of
Education ministry , the Education Family, and the school principals.

Despite the demolition of the school, students gathered in the early
morning hours after setting up tents to serve as an alternative to the
classrooms of the demolished school. The students carried the Palestinian
flag and sang the Palestinian national anthem, affirming that they want to
learn in their school, even if it is demolished by the Israeli occupation.

The students at Jabal al-Deeb school and education officials stated before
the start of classes in the tent that the condemnation of the Israeli
army's demolition of the school by the European Union and the United
Nations is important, but what the young students want to see is the
punishment of those who demolished there school and the rebuilding of a new
one.

Also they emphasized that condemnation through media statements or calling
on Israel to give Palestinians their right to education are not enough and
insufficient calls adding that they want to see reel steps on the ground to
stop Israeli aggression.

For her part, the school principal, Sherine Abu Taha, stated that a large
number of students attended the school and that the first and second grades
will be merged, as well as the third and fourth grades.

She added that all available resources will be utilized to serve the
students and help them succeed by the end of the academic year.

Bassam Jabr the Director of Education in Bethlehem condemned the Israeli
demolition of the school, which has about 60 students from first to fourth
grade, and was demolished in 2017 before being rebuilt in the same year.

Bassam Jabr, the Director of Education in the Bethlehem Governorate, stated
that the Israeli forces began demolishing the school in the early hours of
Sunday morning, after storming the area with dozens of military jeeps and
surrounding it, where an Israeli bulldozer began the demolition process.

For his part, the Director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority
Office in Bethlehem, Hassan Breijia, indicated that the Central Israeli
Court issued a decision to demolish the school last March after the Wall
and Settlement Resistance Authority, and the Saint Eve human rights
foundation, filed a petition to stop the demolition of the school, which
was rejected.

Israeli occupation forces bulldozers demolished the Al-Tahadi 5 school in
the village of Jabal Al-Dheeb, east of Bethlehem, early on Sunday morning.

During the incident, clashes erupted between the locals and the occupation
forces in the vicinity of the school, during which live ammunition, sound
bombs, and toxic gas were fired towards citizens who attempted to prevent
the occupation from carrying out the demolition of the school.

The Governor of Bethlehem Governorate, Kamel Hamid, said in an interview
with Palestine News Network that the occupation carried out a crime against
childhood and humanity by demolishing the Jubb Al-Deeb school east of
Bethlehem.

He added that the world is required to stop the state of silence over the
Israeli crimes that are committed on a daily basis and target children,
women, and the Palestinian land and the presence of the Palestinians on it.

The European Union denounced today Israel’s demolition of the donor-funded
Jibb Al-Deeb School in the small Palestinian village of Bayt Ta’mar, to the
east of Bethlehem, saying the demolition violates children’s right to
education.

“Appalled by reports that the EU-funded school in Jibb Al Deeb is being
demolished by Israeli authorities right now. 60 Palestinian children are
affected,” said the EU in a statement.

The EU urged the Israeli occupation authorities to stop all demolitions and
evictions, which it said “will only increase the suffering of the
Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment.”
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