Israel demolishes EU-funded Palestinian school in occupied West Bank

Israeli army forces have demolished a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank for lack of a building permit, according to a local official.

Hassan Brijieh, the head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission in Bethlehem, said Israeli forces and bulldozers moved into the town of Jibb Al Deeb, east of Bethlehem city, and demolished the European Union-funded school on Sunday.

The al Tahadi school is located in the Oslo Accords-described Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under Israeli army control and was first demolished by Israel in 2017 and then rebuilt.

In March, an Israeli court granted an application from a right-wing Israeli organisation and ordered its demolition again.

Brijieh said the school contains five classrooms and houses nearly 66 students between the first and fourth grades.

The Palestinian Education Ministry condemned the school demolition and called on international and legal institutions to shoulder their responsibility towards Israeli violations.

Illegal demolitions

Israel widely uses the pretext of a lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes, especially in Area C.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.

The European Union slammed Israel over Sunday's demolition.

“Demolitions are illegal under international law, and children’s right to education must be respected,” the EU’s delegation to Palestine said, adding the move affected 60 children.

“Israel should halt all demolitions and evictions, which will only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment,” it adds.