Israeli settlers demolished a Palestinian school in the Yanun area, south of Nablus in the West Bank. The institution, called Yanun Primary School, provided coeducation to 15 students from grades 1 to 6.
The demolition took place after local residents were forcibly displaced about eight months ago. According to a December 28, 2025 report by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, the Yanun area has faced years of forced displacement attempts by settlers through violence and terror.
Sixteen Palestinian families had lived in the area for 20 years, but due to settler attacks, movement restrictions, and obstructions to farming and daily activities, most families were forced to leave for their safety. Before the school's demolition, only one family remained in the area.
Ministry condemns
The Palestinian Ministry of Education issued a written statement on the demolition. The statement stressed that the school was a key institution that for years had provided educational access to children in the area.
The ministry described the demolition as "a new crime against Palestinian children" and stated that it is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and international agreements guaranteeing the right to education.
The statement noted that targeting the school is part of a systematic policy to undermine the educational process, aimed at increasing pressure on Palestinian communities and depriving children of their basic right to education.
Call to the international community
The ministry announced that, in cooperation with partner organizations, it will take the necessary steps to ensure that students continue their education and their rights are protected.
It also called on the international community, the United Nations, human rights organizations, and humanitarian agencies to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities, to take urgent and practical steps to protect education in Palestine, to hold the occupation accountable for repeated violations against students and schools, and to put an end to the targeting of educational institutions.
In the West Bank, a large-scale escalation by the Israeli army and settlers has been ongoing since October 8, 2023, coinciding with Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. According to official Palestinian data, this period has seen an increase in killings, injuries, arrests, demolitions of homes and structures, as well as attacks and ill-treatment of residents.
