DaysofPal — The Palestinian Ministry of Education has made an urgent appeal to UNESCO and UNICEF to intervene and prevent the Israeli demolition of Al-Rifaiya School in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron, after the Israeli occupation issued a 14-day deadline for its removal.
Ministry spokesperson Sadiq Al-Khoudour said on Thursday that international statements of condemnation are no longer sufficient, calling instead for “direct and practical intervention on the ground” to stop measures that threaten to displace dozens of schoolchildren.
He explained that so-called “challenge schools” were established to preserve access to education for children in marginalized areas, adding that the ministry remains committed to supporting communities by opening schools even for very small numbers of students if necessary.
Al-Khoudour stressed that the ministry will continue providing education in the same area even if the demolition is carried out, including teaching students outdoors, in tents, or in temporary metal structures.
His remarks come after the Israeli occupation ordered the school’s administration to carry out a self-demolition within 14 days, following a court decision rejecting an appeal against the demolition order.
Jibril Dababsa, director of public relations for the Yatta Directorate of Education, said that classes will continue under any circumstances, even if lessons must be held on rubble, in caves, or in open spaces, to ensure students can continue their education.
The school, located south of the village of Al-Deirat, east of Yatta, serves approximately 150 students from first to seventh grade and was established in 2016. Officials warn that at least 10 schools in the surrounding areas, serving around 1,000 students, face similar demolition threats or could receive orders at any time.
Students and teachers reportedly face ongoing difficulties, including harassment by settlers and restrictions that have at times prevented education staff from delivering final exam materials.
The school is part of a network of institutions supported by international organizations in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which remains under full Israeli military control.
Human rights advocates say the demolition of schools in Masafer Yatta and southern Hebron is part of a broader policy that undermines access to education and pressures Palestinian communities to leave their land due to increasingly difficult living conditions.
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