DayofPal — Israeli authorities have issued a demolition order against the Al-Rifa’iya Al-Tahaddi Basic School 1 in the Hebron governorate of the occupied West Bank, giving the school just 14 days before it is slated to be demolished, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The ministry described the order as a “dangerous escalation” and part of a systematic campaign targeting the Palestinian education sector.
It warned that the demolition would directly affect around 200 students enrolled from first through seventh grade, depriving them of access to education as well as summer educational, recreational, and psychosocial support programs.
Located south of the village of Al-Deirat, east of Yatta, the school was established in 2016 and serves children from surrounding rural communities.
Local education officials said the demolition order places students’ academic future at serious risk and threatens the continuity of education in the area.
Jibril Dababseh, Director of Public Relations at the Yatta Directorate of Education, said the threat extends beyond Al-Rifa’iya School. He warned that approximately 10 additional schools in communities east of Yatta face the risk of receiving or having demolition orders enforced at any time, putting the education of nearly 1,000 students in jeopardy.
Despite the demolition threat, Palestinian education authorities and local residents have vowed to continue teaching. Dababseh stressed that education would not stop even if the school is demolished, saying classes would continue under any circumstances to ensure children are not denied their right to learn.
Palestinian officials said the demolition order reflects a broader Israeli policy of targeting educational institutions through demolition and construction halt orders, arguing that such measures violate international conventions protecting the right to education and safeguarding schools during occupation.
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