Ongoing Israeli Demolitions Endanger Homes and Schools in Masafer Yatta

Palestinian children stand on the rubble of the partially demolished Sha'ab al-Butum primary school in Masafer Yatta. On Tuesday morning, 12-year-old Sundus al-Hamamdeh left her home in the Masafer Yatta village of Khirbet al-Fakhit to attend school on the third day of the new academic year in the occupied West Bank. However, upon returning from her classes, the sixth-grade student at al-Fakhit Secondary School discovered that her home had been completely destroyed.

Israeli forces conducted a widespread demolition operation in Khirbet al-Fakhit, leveling residences, livestock shelters, water infrastructure, and solar-power installations. For Sundus al-Hamamdeh, the house represented far more than physical shelter; it was her primary place of security. Across Masafer Yatta, located south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the constant threat of demolition remains a harsh reality for local children.

Because much of Masafer Yatta is situated within Area C of the West Bank, planning and construction fall under Israeli control. While Israeli authorities cite a lack of building permits to justify these demolitions, Palestinians and the United Nations emphasize that obtaining such permits is virtually impossible. Beyond residential homes, educational institutions face imminent destruction as well.

On August 4, Israeli forces surrounded the Sha'ab al-Butum school, according to Bassam Jabr, the director-general of education in Masafer Yatta. An Israeli military bulldozer subsequently demolished a storage room alongside two rooms utilized by teachers and administrators. The United Nations independently verified the incident, noting that authorities invoked the absence of an Israeli-issued building permit. The primary school building itself continues to face an active demolition order.

Established in 2015, the Sha'ab al-Butum school accommodates roughly 60 students ranging from kindergarten through the 11th grade. Its isolated geography makes student transfers exceptionally difficult, as Bassam Jabr explained. Although education officials have pursued legal challenges in Israeli courts and appealed to the United Nations and international governments, the facilities remain at risk.

While military actions and settler violence persist across the West Bank, Masafer Yatta faces particularly intense targeting due to its remote communities, harsh living conditions, and minimal defense capabilities. Furthermore, the designation of large portions of the region as a military firing zone provides the Israeli military with another pretext for displacing the Palestinian population. Local schools serve as vital anchors designed to keep families in the area without forcing children to travel long distances for their education, which Palestinians believe makes these institutions primary targets.

Intisar Omar Abu Sabha, an administrative director at the Masafer Yatta Directorate of Education, reported that schools in Zif, ar-Rifaiyah, Umm Qussa, Umm al-Kheir, Jinba, Shaab al-Butum, Khirbet al-Daba, and al-Majaz are all confronting demolition orders. In addition to losing their schools, students and teachers must contend with road closures, military checkpoints, and settler presence on their daily commutes. Intisar Omar Abu Sabha detailed a compounding crisis where children simultaneously face the loss of both their homes and their educational facilities.

Palestinian lawyer Yasmeen Sallaq emphasized that the threats facing Masafer Yatta schools directly violate children's right to education. Ongoing military raids, movement restrictions, arrests, displacement, and direct attacks render the educational process increasingly unmanageable.

At the Zif Secondary School for Girls, headteacher Hanaa al-Salameen noted that approximately 250 students are enrolled. After receiving an initial demolition notice in 2016 and exhausting years of legal proceedings, an appeal was dismissed this year, though efforts to secure an interim injunction persist. This persistent uncertainty has triggered anxiety among students and forced some families to transfer their daughters elsewhere. Describing the institution as the students' sole outlet, Hanaa al-Salameen warned that its destruction could permanently end education for girls whose alternative options involve distant or hazardous travel.

Rabiha Yousef Jibril, a 10th-grade student at Zif, underscored the deep personal connection students feel toward their school. Despite widespread fears of demolition, she affirmed that the student body remains determined to continue their education under any circumstances, vowing to study under trees and hold their knowledge in their hearts and minds even if books are confiscated.