Institutions raided and shut down in Nablus, including a girl’s school

Early on Monday morning, Israeli troops raided a number of institutions in the West Bank town of Nablus, including a girls’ school. According to IMEMC, witnesses reported that more than 40 vehicles including two bulldozers, invaded the city at 1:00 am on Monday, and soldiers ransacked a number of charitable institutions; amongst these was the Islamic School for Girls, which was raided and shut down.
A girls’ school was amongst the facilities closed down by Israeli troops (photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English)

A girls' school was amongst the facilities closed down by Israeli troops (photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English)

By shutting down the school, 160 girls are being denied their right to education.

“Now we need to look for an alternative place to educate these girls,” Fidda Draikh, principal of the school said to Al Jazeera News, “We cannot leave them without a school.”

The Israeli army has recently stepped up their campaign against Islamic charitable societies and schools in the West Bank, by raiding them, confiscating their property, searching computers and documents that detail their activities and shutting them down, or threatening them with closure.

In April this year, 14 Hebron-area schools and orphanages, which serve approximately 7000 Palestinian children and orphans, were threatened with closure by the Israeli Army. Eight of the schools belonged to the Islamic Charitable Society, while the remaining six belonged to the Muslim Youth Society. The schools and orphanages are subjected to random raids by the Israeli army and remain under ongoing threat of closure.
Children demonstrating against the Israeli military’s attempt to close schools and orphanages in Hebron, Palestine (photo by Ahmad Jaradat, AIC, 2008)

Children demonstrating against the Israeli military's attempt to close schools and orphanages in Hebron, Palestine (photo by Ahmad Jaradat, AIC, 2008)

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights issued a statement condemning the Israeli army for closing down the charities, school and humanitarian organizations in Nablus over the past few days. To view the statement, go to –
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2008/62-2008.html,

Sources: IMEMC, Al Jazeera English, Electronic Intifada, PCHR