(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Israeli demolitions threaten schools and homes in Masafer Yatta | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/9/11/israeli-demolitions-threaten-schools-and-homes-in-masafer-yatta)                                               (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2026/9/11/israeli-demolitions-threaten-schools-and-homes-in-masafer-yatta)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/3-1787563480-copy-1787745818.jpg?resize=1920%2C1280&quality=80)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/08/3-1787563480-copy-1787745818.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.e3bc53a0.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~41c72a2c.3f309873.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~06be7c11.0625e98d.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/pages/article-page~493df0b3.accd71c7.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (israeli-demolitions-threaten-schools-and-homes-in-masafer-yatta@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        Navigation menu caret-left    (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-palestine-conflict/) Israel-Palestine conflict    (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/9/shackled-bleeding-raped-palestinians-describe-abuse-in-israels-prisons) Shackled, bleeding, raped: Abuse in Israeli prisons   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/1/this-is-an-apartheid-regime-critics-decry-israels-new-death-penalty-law) ‘This is an apartheid regime’   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/did-netanyahu-really-defy-trump-in-bombing-iran) Does Trump have real leverage over Netanyahu?   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/12/history-of-flotilla-campaigns-to-end-israels-siege-of-gaza) History of flotilla campaigns     caret-right         (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-palestine-conflict/) Israel-Palestine conflict   Israeli demolitions threaten schools and homes in Masafer Yatta Students pledge to continue learning as demolitions in Masafer Yatta attack homes, schools, and their right to education.   Listen   Listen (5 mins)       Save       Share Israeli demolitions threaten schools and homes in Masafer Yatta on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F05cp1u) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Israeli%20demolitions%20threaten%20schools%20and%20homes%20in%20Masafer%20Yatta&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F05cp1u) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F05cp1u) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/05cp1u)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (Palestinian children stand on the rubble of the partially demolished Sha'ab al-Butum primary school in Masafer Yatta)   Palestinian children stand on the rubble of the partially demolished Sha'ab al-Butum primary school in Masafer Yatta [Screen grab/Al Jazeera]   (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/mosab-shawer)     By  (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/mosab-shawer) Mosab Shawer    Published On 11 Sep 2026 11 Sep 2026    On Tuesday morning, 12-year-old Sundus al-Hamamdeh left her home in the Masafer Yatta village of Khirbet al-Fakhit, and went to school. It was the third day of the new school year in the occupied West Bank. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/11/bric-by-bric-has-brics-challenged-the-western-dominated-world) BRICS summit: Is the bloc truly challenging a Western-dominated world?  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/11/settlers-soldiers-and-israeli-impunity-in-the-west-bank) Settlers, soldiers, and Israeli impunity in the West Bank  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/11/israeli-film-on-gaza-receives-25-minute-ovation-at-venice-premiere) Israeli film on Gaza receives 25-minute ovation at Venice premiere   end of list  But when the sixth-grade student at al-Fakhit Secondary School returned from her classes, the house she had left behind was gone. Israeli forces had carried out a large-scale demolition operation in Khirbet al-Fakhit, destroying homes, livestock shelters, water infrastructure, and solar-power installations. For al-Hamamdeh, her house was more than four walls and a roof. It was her safe space, the place she came back to every day. For children in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the spectre of demolition is always present. Much of Masafer Yatta lies in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel has control over planning and construction. Israeli authorities justifies the demolition orders by saying that the structures were built without permits; Palestinians, backed by the United Nations, note that such permits are nearly impossible for them to obtain. And it’s not just their homes that are under threat, but their schools. On August 4, Israeli forces surrounded (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/8/27/palestinian-children-return-to-school-under-threat-of-israel-demolition) Shaab al-Butum school , according to Bassam Jabr, the director-general of education in Masafer Yatta. An Israeli military bulldozer then demolished two rooms used by teachers and administrators, and a storage room. The UN independently documented the demolition of the rooms, saying Israeli authorities had cited the lack of an Israeli-issued building permit. Advertisement    Things could still get worse; the main school building remains under a demolition order.      Focus of attacks Established in 2015, the school serves about 60 students from kindergarten through 11th grade. Its remote location makes transferring students to other schools particularly difficult, Jabr said. Education officials have appealed to Israeli courts, and called on the United Nations and foreign governments to intervene. But the schools remain under threat. Even as the Israeli military and settlers’ pogroms against Palestinians continue across the West Bank, Masafer Yatta is especially targeted. The remote communities there have little ability to defend themselves and conditions are harsh. In addition, the Israeli military has designated large parts of the area a military firing zone, another justification for forcing out the Palestinian population. Masafer Yatta’s schools are a central part of the effort to keep Palestinians here – ensuring that families do not have to travel far for their children to be educated. Palestinians argue that is why the schools have been particularly targeted. Intisar Omar Abu Sabha, an administrative director at the Masafer Yatta Directorate of Education, says schools in the communities of Zif, ar-Rifaiyah, Umm Qussa, Umm al-Kheir, Jinba, Shaab al-Butum, Khirbet al-Daba, and al-Majaz are among those facing demolition orders. In addition to the threats to their schools, students and teachers also have to navigate road closures, checkpoints, and the presence of settlers to reach their classrooms. Abu Sabha said schools have also faced damage and settler incursions or harassment in and around their grounds. She describes a cycle in which children risk losing both their homes and their schools. “Imagine a student who is at school, then returns home and finds their home demolished … and comes back the next day to find their school demolished,” she said. Yasmeen Sallaq, a Palestinian lawyer, says the threat to the Masafer Yatta schools directly undermines children’s right to education. But Sallaq says that Israeli restrictions on movement, military raids, arrests, displacement, and attacks affecting students and education workers make that right increasingly difficult to exercise. “We face the demolition of schools every day, making the continuation of the educational process almost impossible,” Sallaq said.      ‘The only outlet’ At (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/4/palestine-weekly-israel-kills-dozens-in-gaza-after-hamas-disarmament-deal) Zif Secondary School for Girls , headteacher Hanaa al-Salameen says about 250 students attend the school. Advertisement    It first received a demolition notice in 2016. Years of legal proceedings followed, but an appeal against demolition was dismissed this year, with efforts continuing to obtain an interim injunction. The uncertainty has already taken a toll. Some girls are experiencing fear and anxiety, while others have transferred to different schools, al-Salameen said. “The school is not just a place for education,” she said. “This school is the students’ only outlet.” She fears the school’s demolition could push some girls out of education altogether if alternative schools are too far away or require them to travel along unsafe roads. At Zif, 10th-grade student Rabiha Yousef Jibril described the school’s importance. “I am growing up in this school, and my dreams are growing with me day by day,” Jibril said, adding that while students fear its demolition, they insist they will continue to attend. “Even if they demolish the school, we will continue to study, even under the trees,” she said. “Even if they confiscate the books, we will keep them in our hearts, as well as our minds.”                 aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss     (https://bsky.app/profile/aljazeera.com) bluesky     (https://www.tiktok.com/@aljazeeraenglish) tiktok-colored-outline                  (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network