Nablus students find school vandalized after settler visit

Students at the Ma’zuz Al-Masri Girls School found the building vandalized by what officials say was settler mischief during an army-organized visit to a nearby religious site in Nablus on Thursday morning.

The Israeli military, however, said it was their soldiers who damaged the building “in order to secure” a visit to Joseph’s Tomb by approximately 500 settlers the night before.

An Israeli military spokesman explained: “While entering, minor damage was caused to the school. The IDF took note of the damage and is cooperating with the Palestinian authorities in order to fix the damage.”

When teachers and students arrived at the school they found it had been broken into, with several windows smashed and garbage thrown in the school water reserves, school officials reported.

The Nablus municipality said its health crews examined the water and found it had been contaminated by trash. The reserve had to be emptied, disinfected and re-filled, officials said.

A spokeswoman for Nablus governor Anan Al-Atira condemned what she said was an attack by settlers entering Nablus for prayer.

“This is not the first time the school has been vandalized by worshipping settlers,” she said, pointing to an incident several months ago where some damage had also been done.