Palestinian students return to school amid fears of demolition

As the new school year began in early September, three siblings—Farah (17), Mohammed (8), and Jawad (7)—from the village of Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, south of the West Bank, are anxious about the future of their village's only school.

The Shaab al-Butum school had two administrative rooms and a storage facility demolished by Israeli forces on August 4. According to the United Nations, Israel justified the action by saying the structures were built without permits from Israeli authorities—permits that are nearly impossible to obtain in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel holds administrative and military control.

The rest of the school is also at risk, facing possible demolition in a court hearing scheduled for September 15. Farah, the only student who has attended the school, expressed fear about what might happen. Mohammed worries Israeli forces will “come back and destroy what remains,” while Jawad is saddened by the damage and hopes the school can “return to how it was before.”

Nidal Younis, head of the Masafer Yatta local council, said all seven schools in the area are under threat of demolition. “This is a recurring test every school year, amid an unprecedented escalation by the occupying authorities,” Younis told Al Jazeera. He stressed that settler violence targets students on their way to school, even inside classrooms or at home.

Teacher and activist Tariq Hathaleen said demolitions often occur unexpectedly, without notice, leaving residents in a constant state of insecurity. Last school year, settlers attacked the Ras Ein al-Auja school in the Jordan Valley, assaulting teachers and students. “Schools are no longer immune to attack,” Hathaleen said, emphasizing that these schools, built by the Palestinian Ministry of Education, are not just places of learning but hold vital importance for community survival.

According to the Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, 84 Palestinian schools serving nearly 13,000 students currently face demolition orders or construction suspensions by Israel. Amir Dawoud, a senior official of the committee, said the schools facing the most legal threats are concentrated in the Hebron area, especially Masafer Yatta and the al-Walaja school near Bethlehem. “The psychological and educational impact starts before the bulldozers arrive. This is a systematic pattern, not just targeting school buildings but the very ability of Palestinian communities to survive,” Dawoud emphasized.