Hebron Schools Besieged 07 October 2001 Palestine Media Center - PMC http://www.palestine-pmc.com <http://www.palestine-pmc.com> The continuous Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians, as well as towns, cities, and villages in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has also included an aggression against schools. In contravention of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention as well as other humanitarian laws, Israeli occupation forces occupied several Palestinian-controlled neighborhoods in Hebron City and turned a number of homes and schools into military outposts on 04 October. Since October 2000, Israeli occupation forces have occupied five schools in Hebron City, prohibiting at least 15,000 students from joining their schools. During their invasion and occupation of residential neighborhoods in the City of Hebron since early Friday 5 October, Israeli occupation forces occupied two schools. Now, students whose schools were occupied attend their classes in other schools in Hebron, which had to split the day into two shifts in order to accommodate this large number of students. On 4 October, Israeli occupation forces occupied Al-Nahdha Elementary School for Boys in Hebron City. Israeli occupation forces immediately turned the school into a military outpost. Mr. Ja'far Wazwaz, principal of the now occupied school told the Palestine Media Center (PMC), "The school has 600 students who live in the Al-Takrouri neighborhood near the Old City of Hebron". He added, "On 06 October, I tried to enter the school but I found Israeli occupation soldiers inside. There were three tanks, one in front of the school gate and two in the playground. Israeli soldiers told me that this is not a school anymore and then ordered me to go home". The students of Al-Nahdha school are now distributed in a number of schools. Asked if Israeli occupation forces shelled the school before, Mr. Wazwaz told PMC, "Israeli occupation forces have shelled the school several times. In fact, 46 of our students have been wounded in past shelling attacks". The principal stressed, "The school is located on a hill, so it is in clear view of the Israeli occupation forces but they do not give that any regard. That's why the school has come under their fire on numerous occasions." The situation is not different from one school to another as most of the schools are targeted and Israeli occupation forces harass and often attack most of the students. Ms. Nadia Al-Haddad, principal of the Khadija Bint Khuwailed Elementary School for Girls in Hebron told PMC, "There is a military jeep now stationed in front of the school, watching the girls when they come to school and go back home. There is no reason for them to stay here near a school". She added, "During the school day, Israeli occupation forces prohibit students from entering the school. In fact, they have beaten and shot at our students since their invasion of Hebron". Approximately 140,000 Palestinians reside in Hebron City. In their midst, 400 armed Israeli settlers who are protected by 2,000 Israeli soldiers live in small illegal settlements. In February 1994, Barouch Goldstein, an Israeli settler, raided the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron City and opened fire towards Palestinian worshipers, killing 38 and injured tens others. Following that massacre, the Palestine National Authority and Israel signed an agreement by which Hebron was divided into two areas of control. H-1 was to be under complete Palestinian control while H-2, where the Israeli settlers reside, would remain under Israeli occupation until the conclusion of the final status negotiations. In H-2 at least 40,000 Palestinians reside. They have been subject to an almost non-stop curfew and other collective punishment measures for much of the past year. In an interview with PMC, Mr. Bassam Tahboub, Deputy Director of the Hebron Educational Directorate stated, "Israeli occupation forces now occupy five schools in the Old City of Hebron. They also sealed off all entrances to Rab 'a Al-A'dawyeh School, Khadija Bent Khuwailed School, Al-Ibrahimeyeh School, and Al-Khalil School for Boys". He concluded, "Most of the students cannot reach their schools because of the military checkpoints, in which soldiers prohibit them from passing through, or because of the military occupation of their schools". Yahoo! 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