Students in the occupied West Bank say Israeli forces are hindering their right to get an education as their route to school is disrupted
"Better late than never," said Abu Sabha, who has been running the school in the village of al-Fakhiet for six years.
In incidents reported by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs during the first week of school, Israeli forces detained staff on their way to school in the village of Jinba for about four hours, confiscated their car and took the driver for questioning. In al-Fakhiet, Israeli forces prevented teachers from entering the village one day, and on another they stopped a school bus, forcing about 30 pupils to walk a long distance to school in the desert heat.
International bodies including the United Nations and the European Union have expressed concern about the situation at Masafer Yatta, which has seen a series of visits from diplomatic delegations over the past few months.A Palestinian student helps her sister prepare for school at their house, in Masafer Yatta near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank September 13, 2022.
"IDF troops are stationed at all entrances of the firing zone in order to prevent unauthorized entry into the area."