Description

Photos:
Scene. Published by Maan News
_____

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- The Israeli authorities demolished an elementary Palestinian school in the al-Simiya village in southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, on Wednesday morning.

The al-Tahaddi 13 School, made up of mobile class rooms, was recently built by the Palestinian Ministry of Education, at a cost of €40, 000, and was scheduled to open in two days.

Locals told Ma'an that Israeli forces demolished the school and dismantled the "artificial walls" of the school and confiscated a power engine, drinking-water tank and other equipment.

Head of the Directorate of Education in Hebron, Khalid Abu Sharar, said that the ministry decided to build this school to lessen the pressures that Palestinian students of the al-Simiya village suffer from.

He added that students of the village continuously face violations by Israeli soldiers on their way to and from school to the nearby al-Samu town, pointing out that they also have to cross a main highway which endangers their lives.

The al-Tahaddi 13 School consists of seven classrooms, and serves 50 students.

Moreover, the Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the demolition and confiscation of the school’s property.

The ministry added that the demolition of the school represents "the real meaning of planned terrorism" carried out by the Israeli authorities against educational institutions.

The ministry also called upon all international rights and media institutions to hold their responsibilities towards Israeli violations against education.

Israeli forces regularly confiscate and demolish Palestinian structures deemed as illegal by the Israeli government, most commonly in Area C, the area of the West Bank under full Israeli security and civilian control.

Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in Area C, forcing most Palestinians to build without permits.

All building in Area C, whether by Palestinians or Jewish settlers, comes under the jurisdiction of the Israeli Civil Administration, which has full control over all zoning and planning issues.

In practice, almost all Palestinian applications for a building permit are rejected, with the Civil Administration granting only a handful of permits.