Israeli Colonists Demolish Yanun Elementary School in West Bank, Palestinian Education Ministry Condemns

Israeli colonists demolished Yanun Elementary School in the village of Yanun, located southeast of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, about eight months after residents of the hamlet were forcibly displaced.

“Illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers carried out multiple attacks across the occupied West Bank on Thursday, targeting Palestinian homes, agricultural lands, vehicles, and public facilities”

- IMEMC News

The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education condemned the demolition, describing it as a "new crime against Palestinian children" and a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law and international agreements" that guarantee the right to education.

- IMEMC News

WAFA said the school provided education for 15 students from first through sixth grade and had served for years as a key educational facility for children in the community.

Middle East Eye reported that the ministry described the demolition as part of a systematic policy to undermine the education sector and deprive children of their fundamental right to education, citing Wafa news on Thursday.

Alongside the Yanun school demolition, Middle East Eye and - IMEMC News described a broader escalation of attacks across the occupied West Bank, with assaults reported in Salfit, Jenin, Nablus, and Ramallah.

- IMEMC News said colonizers invaded the Khallet al‑Haramiya area west of Kafr ad‑Dik and broke dozens of olive trees belonging to brothers Mihyoub and Yousef al‑Dik under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.

Middle East Eye

In Jenin, - IMEMC News reported that four colonizers from the colonial outpost “Tarsala” invaded the outskirts of the town of Ajjah while riding an off‑road vehicle, conducting a provocative tour through the town’s fields.

In Nablus, - IMEMC News said colonizers demolished the Yanun Mixed Primary School near the town of Aqraba southeast of the city, months after forcibly displacing the area’s residents, and in Ramallah they spread through residential areas inside the village of Deir Jarir east of the city, smashing Palestinian vehicles and intimidating residents.

WAFA said the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated it would continue, in coordination with partner organizations, to take the necessary measures to ensure students can continue their education despite ongoing violations.

“RAMALLAH, July 9, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists demolished the Yanun Elementary School in the village of Yanun, located southeast of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, around eight months after the forced displacement of residents from the hamlet”

WAFA Agency

The ministry also called on the international community, the United Nations and human rights and humanitarian organizations to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities by taking urgent action to protect education in Palestine, hold Israel accountable for repeated violations against students and schools, and end attacks on educational institutions.

Middle East Eye framed the demolition as part of a systematic policy to undermine the education sector and deprive children of their fundamental right to education, describing it as a blatant violation of international law.

- IMEMC News added that the Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission has repeatedly warned that these attacks are part of a systematic effort to impose new colonial realities on the ground, while Israeli occupation forces carried out widespread invasions, abductions, home searches, and movement restrictions across multiple districts on Wednesday.