Palestine Israel

West Bank: Settlers Demolish Palestinian School South of Nablus

The Palestinian Ministry of Education said that Yanoun School was providing education to 15 students before the forced displacement of the hamlet's residents.

Hosni Nedim

09 July 2026 • Updated: 09 July 2026

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RAMALLAH

Hosni Nedim / Anadolu

Israeli settlers on Thursday demolished the co-educational Yanoun Primary School in the hamlet of Yanoun, north of the occupied West Bank, about eight months after the forced displacement of the hamlet's residents.

The demolition of the school was not isolated from a long process of pressure on the hamlet (smaller than a village); according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, on 28 December 2025, Yanoun had faced years of forced displacement attempts imposed by settlers through 'terror and violence,' and only one family remained at that time, after most residents were displaced and its government school was closed.

According to Wafa, the hamlet once housed 16 Palestinian families over two decades, before settler attacks and restrictions on movement, agriculture, and daily work forced most residents to leave for their own safety and that of their children, though the agency did not specify where the displaced families went.

The Palestinian Ministry of Education said in a statement that settlers demolished the school south of Nablus, which provided education to 15 male and female students from grades one to six, and over the years had been a fundamental pillar for ensuring the children of the community had access to education.

The Ministry added that the demolition of the school represents 'a new crime against Palestinian children, and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international conventions that guarantee the right to education and prohibit targeting educational institutions.'

It pointed out that the targeting of the school is part of a systematic policy to undermine the educational process, exert more pressure on Palestinian communities, and deprive children of their basic right to education.

The Ministry affirmed that it will continue, in cooperation with partner entities, to take necessary measures to ensure the continuity of students' education and secure their right to continue their studies despite ongoing violations.

It called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to assume their legal and ethical responsibilities, take practical and urgent steps to protect education in Palestine, hold the occupation accountable for repeated violations against students and schools, and stop targeting educational institutions.

Since October 8, 2023, in parallel with the Israeli genocide war on Gaza, the West Bank has witnessed a widespread escalation by the Israeli army and settlers, including killings, injuries, arrests, demolition of Palestinian homes and structures, as well as attacks and abuse against residents, according to official Palestinian data.