World News
Palestinian students in West Bank return to school amid Israeli demolition orders
Multiple schools in Area C face pending demolition orders or structural damage, with a key court case scheduled for September.
The short version
- Palestinian children in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank have returned to school following the partial demolition of the Shaab al-Butum school building by Israeli forces on August 4.
- Data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission shows 84 Palestinian schools serving nearly 13,000 students face Israeli demolition or stop-work orders.
- Israeli authorities justified past demolitions by citing a lack of Israeli-issued building permits in Area C, which local officials and the UN note are difficult for Palestinians to obtain.
- The remaining structure of the Shaab al-Butum school faces a court hearing scheduled for September 15 to determine its status.
Key facts
- Israeli forces demolished two administrative rooms and a storage room at the Shaab al-Butum school on August 4.[Al Jazeera]
- The United Nations stated that Israel justified the August 4 demolition because the structures lacked building permits in Area C.[Al Jazeera]
- A court hearing regarding the potential demolition of the remaining Shaab al-Butum school building is set for September 15.[Al Jazeera]
- Data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission indicates 84 Palestinian schools serving nearly 13,000 students are subject to Israeli demolition or stop-work orders.[Al Jazeera]
- Nidal Younis, head of the Masafer Yatta local council, stated that all seven schools in the wider Masafer Yatta area face threats of demolition.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Whether the remaining structure of the Shaab al-Butum school will be demolished following the September 15 court hearing.[Al Jazeera]