RAMALLAH, May 5, 2026 (WAFA) - In a grave violation of the sanctity of educational institutions, a terrorist Israeli settler stormed the grounds of Silat al-Dahr Boys’ Basic School in occupied Jenin and threatened to shut it down. “This act constitutes a direct and deliberate attack on the educational process and the safety of students and staff,” said the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in a statement.
The statement read, “This attack forms part of a broader pattern of systematic settler terrorism targeting the education sector across Palestine. These include repeated attacks on schools, most recently the assault on al-Mughayyir Secondary School, which resulted in the killing of one of its students, alongside persistent threats and intimidation directed at both students and staff.”
It continued, “Recent attacks also include the destruction of al-Maleh School in the northern Jordan Valley, blocking children from Umm al-Khair from reaching their schools in Masafer Yatta, and the forced displacement of students from the village of Yanoun.”
“On a daily basis, Palestinian students face restrictions and violations that infringe upon their most fundamental right to learn in safety and dignity,” said the statement.
The ministry stressed that, “Such terrorist practices constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and the right to education as enshrined in international conventions and agreements, most notably the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They represent a serious breach of the protected status of educational institutions and an attempt to obstruct access to education.”
The Ministry warned that the threat to shut down the school marks a dangerous escalation and a direct violation of the sanctity of educational institutions. It affirmed its continued efforts, both nationally and internationally, and in coordination with human rights and UN bodies, to document and expose these violations, work to end them, and pursue accountability.
The Ministry also called upon the international community, including human rights and humanitarian organizations, to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities by taking urgent and effective measures to halt these repeated attacks, ensure the protection of students and educational institutions, and safeguard the right to education as an inalienable and non-negotiable human right.
It reiterated its commitment to advancing advocacy efforts to confront these violations and raise global awareness of the ongoing targeting of education in Palestine.
T.R.
