The Masafer Yatta area in the southern West Bank hosted a visit by consuls and diplomats from 15 European countries. The delegation examined the living conditions of Palestinians, as well as educational institutions facing the threat of demolition.
The diplomats visited the areas of Umm al-Khair and Rifaiyya, where they received information about the difficulties students face reaching their schools, the problems encountered by teachers and the threats targeting educational institutions.
The delegation visited Rifaiyya School, which is facing a demolition threat from Israeli authorities. The diplomats also gathered outside the Najada School near Umm al-Khair.
Demolition notice issued for Rifaiyya School
The Palestinian Ministry of Education said Israeli authorities issued a demolition notice for Rifaiyya School in July. The notice placed the school, attended by around 200 students from kindergarten through seventh grade, under threat of demolition.
Bessam Jabr, director of education for the Yatta, Masafer Yatta and Badiya areas, said 15 schools in Masafer Yatta face the threat of demolition. Jabr said Israeli authorities had sent demolition notices for some of these schools.
Jabr called on the European Union to protect students and teachers and prevent the demolition of schools. He also called for support for the education process and measures to ensure that students can reach their schools regularly.
The threat of demolition in Masafer Yatta
Masafer Yatta, south of the city of Hebron, consists of 12 Palestinian communities. More than 1,100 people live in the area.
In the 1980s, Israel declared an area of approximately 30,000 dunams in Masafer Yatta a military zone. In May 2022, the Israeli Supreme Court also ruled that there was no legal obstacle to removing Palestinians from the area and using it for military training.
The United Nations said 84 schools in Area C of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem face demolition orders. Educational institutions in Masafer Yatta are among those schools.
On August 4, Israeli authorities demolished three sections of a school in the village of Shaab al-Butum, which is part of Masafer Yatta.
The administrative structure of the West Bank
The West Bank was divided into Areas A, B and C under the Second Oslo Agreement signed by the Palestinian Authority and Israel in 1995. Administrative and security control of Area A, which covers approximately 18 percent of the West Bank, was assigned to the Palestinian Authority, while administrative control of Area B, which covers approximately 22 percent, was assigned to the Palestinian Authority and security control to Israel.
Administrative and security control of Area C, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the region, was transferred to Israel.
