Israel Sparks Fury from EU After Demolition of Palestinian Primary School

Israeli authorities bulldozed a Palestinian elementary school
Israel alleged safety concerns and garnered harsh condemnation from the European Union
The EU has urged Israel to protect children's right to an education

On Sunday, Israeli officials razed a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank, prompting strong condemnation from the European Union.

COGAT, an Israeli military arm, claimed in a statement that the structure, about 2 kilometers from Bethlehem, was built illegally and "was judged to be detrimental to the safety of anybody learning or otherwise going there," and that an Israeli court "ordered its demolition."

EU Condemns Israel

On its official Twitter account, the European Union Delegation to the Palestinians said it was "appalled" by the school's destruction, which it stated will harm 60 Palestinian students. The destruction will "only aggravate the misery of the Palestinian community and further intensify an already sensitive climate," according to the EU delegation.

COGAT stated that the building's owner had ignored multiple attempts by Israeli officials to engage in discourse about the structure's status prior to the demolition.

According to students and observers, the structure was reduced to rubble, with no sign of the school that ever existed there. The EU was "appalled" when Israeli soldiers came to the school facility at daybreak, which a Palestinian Authority source said serviced 45 pupils and had five classrooms.

Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has occupied the West Bank. Almost 2.9 million Palestinians live in the land. In addition, over 475,000 Jewish settlers live there in state-approved colonies that are illegal under international law.

According to Ahmed Naser, a Palestinian education ministry spokesman, the school replaced another that was razed by Israel in 2019. Naser cited its isolated position as preventing "displacement and forceful deportation" of local Palestinians, accusing Israel of "wanting to acquire these lands."

Israel's Demolition of Palestinian Structures

The EU urged Israel to "stop any demolitions and evictions, which would only add to the misery of the Palestinian people and aggravate an already sensitive situation."

Per AFP via Yahoo, a delegation of UN experts called for action in January to stop Israel's "systematic and purposeful" demolition of Palestinian buildings. Mubarak Zawahrah, leader of the Beit Tamar local council, where the school was located, told AFP that Israeli officials had agreed to postpone the destruction until Wednesday, awaiting a judicial appeal.

Naser stated that a tent with minimal infrastructure will be constructed on the site on Monday to replace the wrecked facilities. The destruction, according to COGAT and Israeli group Regavim, was the result of a petition submitted by the right-wing organization whose aim, according to its website, is "the defense of Israel's national territories."

In a statement, Regavim accused Palestinians of building the school "outside the law" in order to create a "humanitarian disaster."

Due to a budget constraint, the World Food Programme says it will withhold food aid to more than 200,000 Palestinians beginning next month. Families are particularly affected in Gaza, where food insecurity and poverty are severe, and in the West Bank.

The UN organization provides needy Palestinians with monthly vouchers worth $10.30 ($15.26) per individual as well as food baskets. Both programs will suffer as a result, according to ABC.net.

According to Palestinian and UN figures, Gaza, which has been ruled by the Islamic Hamas party since 2007, is home to 2.3 million people, 45 percent of whom are unemployed and 80 percent rely on international aid. For years, Israel has spearheaded a blockade with Egypt, limiting the passage of people and commodities due to security concerns about the enclave's Hamas leadership.