Statement by the EU Spokesperson on the Israeli Demolition of School in Masafer Yatta (Non-UN Document)

This is a non-United Nations document. The United Nations provides these documents only as a convenience for reference purposes, and the inclusion of a document does not imply the endorsement of its content by the United Nations.

The European Union deplores the demolition of the donor-funded Sfai school in Masafer Yatta in the occupied Palestinian territory by the Israeli Defence Forces on Wednesday 23 November. The EU recalls that demolitions are illegal under international law, and children’s right to education must be respected.

This unacceptable development comes while 1.200 Palestinians in Masafer Yatta remain at risk of forced transfer following the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision in May, and against the backdrop of an increasingly coercive and intimidating environment for the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, including the movement restrictions imposed on them, teachers and humanitarian responders.

The EU calls on Israel to halt all demolitions and evictions, which will only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment.