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Israeli Troops Storm West Bank Schools as New Academic Year Opens
(MENAFN) The Israeli army stormed two schools in the northern occupied West Bank province of Nablus on Sunday, local sources said, marking a tense start to the new school year.
According to the sources, Israeli forces entered Huwwara Boys Secondary School, located south of Nablus, where troops threatened staff and ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from the premises. A separate Israeli unit moved into Burqa Boys Secondary School, northwest of the city; no injuries or detentions were reported at either location.
The incursions coincided with the opening day of the 2026-2027 school year, during which 846,289 students returned to classrooms across the occupied West Bank. Those students are spread across 2,537 schools — government, private and UN-operated — staffed by roughly 54,000 teachers.
Figures from the Palestinian Education Ministry show 634,294 students enrolled in 1,967 government schools, alongside 163,787 attending 480 private institutions. An additional 48,208 students are enrolled in 90 schools run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The school year opens against a backdrop of intensifying Israeli military activity throughout the West Bank, with rural and Bedouin communities facing a disproportionate share of the violence — including incidents that have disrupted schools and other education infrastructure.
In occupied East Jerusalem, the ministry confirmed that classes began despite what it described as ongoing Israeli measures affecting Palestinian schools, teachers, students and curricula.
To offset the disruption, the ministry said it opened four new primary schools in remote and Bedouin communities, areas where Israeli authorities have threatened demolition and forced displacement, particularly across Area C of the West Bank. The ministry has also committed $1.5 million toward bus services to help students in these affected communities reach school.
Gaza's delayed return
Conditions remain far more disrupted in the Gaza Strip, where administrative and teaching staff are not due back until Sept. 16, with students following on Sept. 19, the ministry said.
Officials are setting up close to 700 in-person learning sites to serve more than half a million students, supplemented by 25 temporary schools. Students unable to reach physical classrooms will continue learning online.
The ministry said these combined measures would allow approximately 541,000 students in Gaza to keep learning despite limited resources.
Since the war began in October 2023, hundreds of thousands of Gaza's students have gone without consistent schooling, as many school buildings have instead served as shelters for displaced families.
The conflict has taken a staggering human toll: the Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000, according to the report, leaving much of Gaza's civilian infrastructure destroyed or severely damaged.
According to the sources, Israeli forces entered Huwwara Boys Secondary School, located south of Nablus, where troops threatened staff and ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from the premises. A separate Israeli unit moved into Burqa Boys Secondary School, northwest of the city; no injuries or detentions were reported at either location.
The incursions coincided with the opening day of the 2026-2027 school year, during which 846,289 students returned to classrooms across the occupied West Bank. Those students are spread across 2,537 schools — government, private and UN-operated — staffed by roughly 54,000 teachers.
Figures from the Palestinian Education Ministry show 634,294 students enrolled in 1,967 government schools, alongside 163,787 attending 480 private institutions. An additional 48,208 students are enrolled in 90 schools run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The school year opens against a backdrop of intensifying Israeli military activity throughout the West Bank, with rural and Bedouin communities facing a disproportionate share of the violence — including incidents that have disrupted schools and other education infrastructure.
In occupied East Jerusalem, the ministry confirmed that classes began despite what it described as ongoing Israeli measures affecting Palestinian schools, teachers, students and curricula.
To offset the disruption, the ministry said it opened four new primary schools in remote and Bedouin communities, areas where Israeli authorities have threatened demolition and forced displacement, particularly across Area C of the West Bank. The ministry has also committed $1.5 million toward bus services to help students in these affected communities reach school.
Gaza's delayed return
Conditions remain far more disrupted in the Gaza Strip, where administrative and teaching staff are not due back until Sept. 16, with students following on Sept. 19, the ministry said.
Officials are setting up close to 700 in-person learning sites to serve more than half a million students, supplemented by 25 temporary schools. Students unable to reach physical classrooms will continue learning online.
The ministry said these combined measures would allow approximately 541,000 students in Gaza to keep learning despite limited resources.
Since the war began in October 2023, hundreds of thousands of Gaza's students have gone without consistent schooling, as many school buildings have instead served as shelters for displaced families.
The conflict has taken a staggering human toll: the Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000, according to the report, leaving much of Gaza's civilian infrastructure destroyed or severely damaged.
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