UN says 'deeply disturbed' by Palestinian school demolition in occupied West Bank

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN said Monday that it was ''deeply disturbed'' by the demolition of a European Union-funded Palestinian primary school by the Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank.

''A child’s right to education must be respected. I call on Israeli authorities to cease such demolitions and evictions, which are illegal under international law,'' Tor Wennesland, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement.

The demolition followed an Israeli court order citing safety concerns in response to a petition by a settler organization.

Wennesland said that 58 schools serving 6,500 children face the threat of demolition due to a lack of building permits that are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain.

He called on Israeli authorities to approve plans for Palestinian communities to build legally in Area C to address their development needs, including for schools.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions -- Area A, B and C.

Israel prevents Palestinians from carrying out construction projects in parts of the West Bank designated as Area C, which falls under Israel’s administrative and security control.