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 steeps 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.”