Israeli Forces Demolish Yanon Mixed Basic School in Khirbet Yanon, Northern Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces demolished the Yanon Mixed Basic School in the Khirbet Yanon hamlet of the northern occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to Palestinian media and the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa said the hamlet had been home to 16 Palestinian families for around two decades before repeated attacks, movement restrictions, and limitations on farming and daily life forced most residents to leave, leaving only one family after the closure of the government-run school by Dec. 28, 2025.

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The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the demolition, describing it as another attack on Palestinian children and saying it constituted a breach of international humanitarian law and international agreements that protect educational institutions and guarantee the right to education.

In a statement, the ministry said the destruction formed part of what it called a systematic policy aimed at weakening the Palestinian education sector, increasing pressure on local communities, and denying children access to schooling.

The ministry pledged to continue coordinating with partner organizations to ensure students can continue their education despite ongoing Israeli actions, and urged the international community, the United Nations and human rights organizations to take immediate steps to safeguard educational institutions in Palestine.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said Israeli authorities prevented his planned visit to the occupied Palestinian territories on Wednesday, with his spokesperson telling the US social media company X that the Palestinian authorities informed the General Secretariat of the Israeli refusal.

The spokesperson said the visit was aimed at supporting the resilience of the Palestinian people and meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

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Fahmy “chose the visit to the occupied territories to be his first foreign destination due to the centrality of the Palestinian cause,” and the spokesperson added that he intended to emphasize that it will remain at the top of the Arab world’s priorities.

The Middle East Monitor also reported that since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 173,000 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The same source said the offensive caused widespread destruction affecting about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, and that the West Bank has also seen escalation by the Israeli army and occupiers, killing 1,175 Palestinians and injuring 12,919 others while leading to the arrest of around 24,000 people.

Palestine Chronicle reported that Israeli occupation authorities issued a demolition order for a Palestinian primary school in the Masafer Yatta area of the occupied West Bank, threatening the education of approximately 150 children and giving the school 14 days to challenge or comply.

“Israeli occupation forces demolished, early this Thursday morning, an inhabited house south of Hebron in the southern West Bank and displaced its residents”

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The outlet said the school serves children from several rural communities in Masafer Yatta, an area south of Hebron (Al-Khalil), and that residents described it as one of the few accessible educational facilities for children who would otherwise be forced to travel long distances through military checkpoints or dangerous roads.

In parallel, SANA reported that Israeli occupation forces carried out a campaign of raids across the West Bank, arresting 12 Palestinians, including 11 in the Masafer Yatta area of Hebron and one in the city of Tulkarem.

SANA said the forces stormed the towns of al-Dhahiriyah, Beit Ummar, Sa'ir, Beit Awwa, and Um Khair in the Masafer Yatta area of Hebron, and the towns of Meithlon and Sanour southeast of Jenin, arresting 11 Palestinians.

The same SANA report added that Israeli forces also demolished a house in the town of Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem, and an agricultural shed in the village of Douma south of Nablus, while closing checkpoints and setting up additional military checkpoints that impeded the movement of civilians.