European Union Urges Israel To Pay Compensation For School Destruction In The West Bank

Atmosphere in Jenin City, West Bank, Wednesday (5/7/2023). (ANTARA/Ayman Nobani/Xinhua/tm.)

JAKARTA - The European Union (EU) gave strong pressure to Israel on Friday, August 18, to pay compensation for the destruction of a school in the West Bank, an area occupied by Israel. This incident sparked a global debate about the education rights of Palestinian children.

The EU delegation to Palestine explicitly condemned Israel's actions and called for them to respect the rights of Palestinian children to obtain proper education. In a statement posted on social media, they wrote, "We are shocked by the destruction of schools financed by EU in Ein Samiya in the colonized West Bank."

Furthermore, the European Union urged Tel Aviv to take concrete action immediately, including payment of compensation to the EU in exchange for funding losses.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education in a statement on Thursday 17 August, Israeli authorities carried out the destruction of the Ein Samia School located in Ramallah. Even more astonishingly, the action was carried out without permission, as stated by the ministry.

The UNESCO (Universary Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) office in Palestine also condemned this event, noting that the school was demolished just days before the new school year began.

"In the last 12 months, three schools have been demolished, resulting in 78 students losing access to their education. In fact, 58 other schools are still under threat of destruction," the agency wrote on X.

On the same day, the British Consulate in Jerusalem also voiced criticism for this action and stressed the need for upholding educational rights for Palestinian children.

This incident, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday afternoon, has created a wave of international protests and stepped up pressure on Israel to take responsibility for this action that is detrimental to the future of the Palestinian youth.