Without explanation, Israel tears down new Palestinian school in Jerusalem

The al-Razi School was to be home to about 400 kindergarten and elementary students.

On March 19th, with no advance warning, Israel evacuated a Palestinian school in Shaufat, Occupied East Jerusalem, then demolished it. The school’s principal reports that no official reason has been given.

article reposted from Telesur

video reposted from Middle East Monitor

A Palestinian-owned school building that was under construction, in the Shuafat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem was demolished by Israeli forces’ bulldozers Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses recount dozens of Israeli occupation forces escorting the bulldozers into the refugee camp, while others closed off traffic at the checkpoint near the school.

The Israeli forces then, reportedly, surrounded the al-Razi School from rooftops of nearby buildings while students and faculty were evacuated prior to the demolition. According to multiple witnesses, there were drones observed flying above the two-story school building and rubber-coated steel bullets fired on locals in the camp.

The owner of the demolished school building, Muhammad Alqam, insists that he issued all necessary permits at the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality before beginning construction. Alqam was assured that the area belonged to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

There was no prior notice of the demolition before it took place, says Saleh Alqam, principal of the al-Razi school and an official reason for the demolition is yet to be confirmed.

Despite the requisite preparations being carried out, the demolition order was issued, in November, by Israeli authorities.

The United Nations has consistently condemned Israel for the practice of illegal demolition, since 2015.

The al-Razi School had registered about 400 kindergarten and elementary students for the upcoming school year for the new building.