JENIN, March 22, 2016 (WAFA) – Large Israeli military forces Tuesday raided and wreaked havoc into the headquarters of the Arab American University in Jenin, said security and official sources.

The university’s vice president of financial and administrative affairs, Faleh Abu Erra, informed WAFA large Israeli armed forces broke into the headquarters and buildings of the university during the predawn hours, after breaking down its doors.

Forces wreaked havoc into the headquarters and buildings, and seized computers, in addition to  files, banners and flags of student blocs.

The university’s administration strongly denounced this Israeli ‘aggressive policy’, which it stressed is in clear and flagrant violation of all international norms and conventions.

Israeli army previously carried out numerous attacks, with the deliberate and reckless use of force, against schools and educational facilities across the West Bank, in a serious violation of international law and students’ right to pursue education in a safe environment.

The Global Coalition to protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) said, “During situations of armed conflict, attacks on education may violate international humanitarian and criminal law and constitute war crimes (or crimes against humanity during war or peacetime) as set out in the 1907 Hague Regulations, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and customary international humanitarian law.”

“Access to a quality education is also a fundamental human right, regardless of the context. In the long term, a good education promotes peace and post­ conflict reconstruction and helps young people develop the skills and qualifications they need to build lives for themselves and prosperity for their communities.”

“But perhaps most importantly, access to a safe place to study and learn can provide students with a sense of normalcy, routine, and calm amid the chaos of war,” said (GCPEA).

T.R.