Losses and Problems in the General Education Sector as a Result of Israeli-imposed Closure, Curfews and Attacks in the period 28 September - 6 November 2000
Introduction:
As soon as Al Aqsa Intifada started, the Palestinian Ministry of Education (MoE) set up a Committee for Emergencies. This Committee collects information on schools and the educational situation in the various districts in the West Bank and Gaza. It, also, makes recommendations on how to deal with various situations in the field to guarantee the safety of pupils and to keep schooling and learning going on. Since the beginning of the Intifada, the MoE has stressed the importance of keeping schools open, whenever possible, and finding alternatives for those which are closed as a result of the siege imposed on the Palestinians by the Israeli army or because they are in areas which are not safe for children.
The attacks of the Israeli army and settlers and the various measures taken by the Israeli army have resulted in many losses and problems to the Palestinian general education sector. Following is a summary of the most serious of these during the period 28 September - 6 November 2000. Names of children or schools mentioned in this summary are available at the MoE and can be provided upon request.
Pupils killed or injured
Twenty six (26) pupils were shot dead.
The MoE is compiling a list of pupils who were injured out of a total of (1,973) children (under 18 years of age). The list will include the names of pupils who are expected to suffer long-term or permanent disabilities as a result of injury. The MoE is in the process of putting together a program for the continuation of their education outside school during their treatment at home or in hospital. It is, also, planning to prepare schools for the special needs of these students resulting from disabilities.
A number of those shot dead or injured were pupils who were walking to their school or on their way back home from school. They were not al all involved in marches, protests or demonstrations.
Schools
A total of 41 schools were closed or unable to operate because of Israeli military order, siege, curfews or because they are located in areas which are not safe for children and employees. These serve around 20,000 pupils. Pupils and teachers of six schools have been moved to other school buildings and operate as afternoon-shift schools. The most severe closure of schools is in the city of Hebron, in the village of Hawwara near Nablus, where the Israeli army imposed curfew for more than 30 days.
Four schools in Hebron have been taken over by the Israeli army and are used as army posts.
At least 15 schools have been hit by Israeli army shooting or shelling in different areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Physical losses are roughly estimated at around US$ 400,000, so far.
Teachers
As a result of Israeli army roadblocks, siege, closure and curfews, numerous teachers and pupils could not reach their schools which were in operation. The percentage of teachers who could not report to their work locations varied between 10% - 90%, depending on location of their schools.
Teachers and pupils detained
The MoE has the names of seven pupils and three teachers detained by the Israeli army. We do not know, as yet, if the list is comprehensive.
Disruption of the teaching/learning process
During the past more than six years, in which the MoE was in charge of education in the West Bank and Gaza, there were few disruptions to schooling. The present situation and disruption are expected to adversely affect the quality of schooling and education of pupils.
Psychological problems
The Palestinian children, at large, have suffered psychologically during the period of this report, especially those in areas which were attacked by the Israeli military, including shelling by tanks, heavy artillery and helicopters. These psychological difficulties will have their impact on the scholastic achievement of students. The MoE is working with teachers and counselors on treatment and remedial counseling programs and activities.
Disruption to the educational development process
Since its establishment in 19994, the MoE succeeded in building a good working relationship with the international donor community. During the past two years, it has worked on producing a Five-Year Education Development Plan for the period 2000/2001 -2004/2005. Together with major donors to the general education sector and the relevant Palestinian ministries, it has, also, progressed a long way towards creating a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) and a Basket-Funding Approach in support of its Five-Year Education Development Plan. In fact, these outputs (Plan, SWAP and Basket-Funding) should have been the focus of an International Consultation Workshop on Palestinian Education which was planned for 30-31 October 2000. All these qualitative future-oriented development activities, plus donor-funded projects, have been disrupted. They will require a substantial period of time to pick up again, assuming the situation will go back to normal soon.
Disruption in educational management and administration
As a result of Israeli roadblocks, siege, closure, curfews and attacks, many educational administrative personnel could not reach their offices in the districts or at the central MoE offices in Ramallah and in Gaza. The central MoE in Ramallah operated for no less than three weeks with less than 20% of its staff. Moreover, movement between the West Bank and Gaza was denied. All these resulted in disruption of administration and management of education. Furthermore, a lot of the energy and efforts of these staff had to be directed to handle emergent issues, distracting them from their regular administrative and development-related work.
DAY 41: ISRAEL CONTINUES TO EMPLOY LETHAL FORCE AGAINST PALESTINIANS
On Wednesday November 8, Israeli security forces killed four Palestinian civilians, all of them under the age of 18. Two more were reported to have died from injuries sustained earlier in the week. Most of the incidents reported today occurred in the Gaza Strip, but also near the West Bank towns of Jenin, Nablus as well as in Hebron where Israeli Occupying Forces used indiscriminate and excessive force, which involved the use of live-ammunition. Fifty injuries were reportedly caused by live-ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets as well as 67 injuries resulting from tear gas inhalation.
Fares Odeh (14), from Azaitoun neighbourhood in Gaza was shot in the neck at the Al Mintar passage. Khalil Yusuf Abu Sa'ad (18) from Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza was also killed after being shot in the chest. Mohammad Abu Ghali (16) from Al-Amal was shot dead by an Israeli sniper near the Atufah checkpoint also in the Gaza Strip. LAW field workers also reported the death of Raid Dahoud (15) from Hares village close to Salfit in the West Bank. The 15-year-old Palestinian youth was fatally shot in the lower abdomen, allegedly by an internationally prohibited "dum-dum" bullet.
On 4 November 2000, Palestinian refugee Ibrahim Al Qasas (16) from Khan Younis was seriously injured in the head at the Atufah checkpoint and died yesterday at 11:30 PM. Furthermore, Mohammad Mahani (24) from Ashuga'iah neighbourhood in Gaza died today after sustaining critical injuries to the abdomen caused by live-ammunition at the Atufah checkpoint on Tuesday November 7.
In both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 29 Palestinians were injured by live-ammunition and 21 were hit by rubber-coated metal bullets. In several incidents, particularly in Al-Jalama village near Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli security forces employed tear gas causing 67 injuries. Since the beginning of November, 15 out of 26 Palestinian fatalities have been children.
LAW expresses increased concern about the killing of Palestinian children by the Israeli security forces who ignore the high degree of protection guaranteed to children by both international human rights and humanitarian law.
LAW further calls upon the Israeli security forces to abstain from employing military tactics in dispersing Palestinian demonstrations, intentionally departing from required policing methods.
LAW demands that the international community ensures that the Government of Israel complies with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention aimed at safeguarding the rights of protected persons in situations of belligerent occupation.
Due to technical difficulties, this press release was not sent out last night as planned.
The massacre continues:
Four Palestinian martyrs, and closure of the international airport of
Gaza and Rafah border passage
Following is a list of the Palestinians killed by the Israelis during
the last 24 hours:
No. Name Date Age Address Notes
1 Abdallah Khalid
Alamarneh 7/1 14 Addohah/ Bethlehem Injured in the heart.
2 Ahmad
Ameen Khafashy 7/1 6 Murdah/ Salfeet A Jewish settler ran his car over
him.
3 Saeed Hameed Abu Khatlah 7/1 24 Rafah Injured in the abdomen by
2 500 mm bullets on 3/11/2000.
4 Ibraheem Fuad Alqassass 8/1 14 Khan Younis Injured in the head on
4/11/2000.
5 Mohammad Nimr Mhany 8/1 24 Ashujaiah/ Gaza Injured on
7/11/2000.
6 Faris Fayeq Odah 8/1 15 Azzaitoun/ Gaza Injured in the
head.
7 Mohammad Mosbah Abu Ghaly 8/1 16 Alamal neighborhood/ Khan
Younis Injured in the chest/ heart by a silencer.
In the light of the current situation, AL-MEZAN Center for Human Rights stresses on the following: 1. The international community in general and the High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention in particular are requested to provide immediate protection for the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories. 2. The international community is also requested to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilians during the current hard period. 3. The international community is furthermore requested to chase the Israeli war criminals and bring them before court.
FURTHER ISRAELI VIOLENCE CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES.
AT LEAST FOUR MORE PALESTINIANS DIED TODAY
Despite international condemnation of Israeli practices, the Israeli Occupying Forces continue to implement excessive and indiscriminate force against Palestinian civilians. Since 29 September 2000, Palestinian protesters have suffered injuries and fatalities at the hands of the Israeli Occupying Forces on a daily basis. Illegal Israeli settlers living in the Occupied Territories have attacked Palestinian civilians on several occasions.
Today, in the Gaza Strip, four Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli soldiers, as they opened fire on Palestinian protesters using live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets and various forms of tear gas.
Since the last press release of 1 November 2000, Al-Haq documented 18 cases of Palestinians killed by live ammunition. Among them, 9 are children under the age of 18.
Palestinians killed today:
1- Ibrahim Fuad Alqassass, 14, Khan Younis- Injured in the head on 4/11/2000.
2- Mohammad Nimr Mhany, 24, Ashujaieh/ Gaza- Injured on 7/11/2000.
3- Faris Fayeq Odah ,15, Azzaytoun/ Gaza- Injured in the head.
4- Mohammad Mosbah Abu Ghaly,16, Khan Younis- Injured in the chest/ heart by a silencer.
Palestinians whom died yesterday:
1- Abdallah Khalid Amarneh, 24, Dhesheh Refugees Camp- Bethlehem shot in the heart.
2- Sa’ed Hmeed Abu Khatlah, 24, Rafah- Injured in the abdomen by two 500 mm bullets on 3/11/2000.
Scores of others were also injured in demonstrations throughout the Occupied Territories.
Entering the 41st day of Palestinian demonstrations, the Israeli Occupying Forces continue their military actions to further isolate and besiege Palestinian cities and villages throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.The violations continue despite last week’s cease-fire agreement between the PNA and Israel, where the Israeli army was to withdraw tanks and heavy weaponry from the entrances of Palestinian cities and lift the curfews and sieges imposed in many areas. Israel’s failure to cooperate with the agreement and its continuous display of flagrant disregard for international standards in use of force, continue to be the substantial factor in the ongoing violence.
Since the beginning of clashes between Palestinian protesters and the Israeli Occupying Forces, some 6500 Palestinians have been injured and 167 killed.Fourty five of the protesters shot to death are children under 18.As evidenced by the troop deployment in Palestinian areas as well as the nature of the injuries to the Palestinians, the Israeli Occupying Forces intended on inflicting a high number of serious injuries and fatalities. This is further documented by al-Haq fieldwork, which indicates that the majority of injuries sustained by Palestinian protesters were located in the head and chest area.This is in line with al-Haq’s, long and extensive documentation that contrary to Israeli claims their soldiers do not shoot in self-defense but deliberately use lethal force and disproportionate force against Palestinian demonstrators. It is noted that tens of those injured have lost eyes from rubber bullets aimed at the face at close range.
Al-Haq:
1.) Calls for the international inquiry into the Israeli government policy of collective punishment directed against the Palestinians.
2.) Calls for the international community to intervene immediately to pressure the Government of Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights principles and treaties to which Israel is a signatory in order to stop the systemic killing of the Palestinian people.
3.) Calls upon removal of weapons from illegal Israeli settlers and serious measures to contain settler violence pending the removal of illegal settlements from the West Bank and Occupied territories in conformity with international law.
4.) Calls for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly after the failure of the Security Council to take action, and to take measures against Israel under the Resolution United for Peace.