JERUSALEM, Saturday, February 25, 2023 (WAFA) – Families of students at three schools in occupied East Jerusalem held a protest today at the schools against Israeli plans to evacuate one school in order to turn it into a settlement while merging its students into other schools.

Parents of students at al-Qadesiya school, located near Herod’s Gate, one of the main gates of the Old City, said they are going to oppose evacuating their children from their school and moving them to other schools in the Old City.

Ahmad Safadi, a local activist, said Israel wants to turn al-Qadesiya school into a settlement.

He said if this is allowed to happen, then other Palestinian schools in the Old City will eventually be turned into settlements since they are run by the Israeli municipality and Ministry of Education.

Parents at two other Old City schools, al-Omariya and al-Moulawiya, also held a protest at their schools against merging the students saying this will create overcrowding in the classrooms, which makes it difficult for their children to get proper education and for the teachers to interact with all the students.

M.K.