Germany slams Israeli demolition of school in West Bank

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Monday condemned Israel’s demolition of an EU-funded Palestinian school, calling it “an obstacle in the peace process.”

“We see such demolitions as an obstacle in the peace process. When schools are demolished, the right to education is hindered. We are fundamentally concerned about this,” German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told media representatives in Berlin.

“From our point of view, questions of international humanitarian law must be considered (by Israel), in particular the protection of the civilian population,” he added.

The Israeli army knocked down the donor-funded school in Jubbet Adh Dhib on Sunday with bulldozers because it did not have a building permit, local officials said.

According to Peter Stano, the European Commission’s lead spokesman on foreign affairs, Israeli authorities had carried out the demolition despite the EU’s request not to proceed with it.

“The EU calls on Israel to halt all demolitions and evictions,” he said.

​​​​​​​He stressed that these actions are illegal under international law and “only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and risk enflaming tensions on the ground.”

Stano added that Israeli authorities seem to be following a “similar worrying trend” after demolishing or seizing 954 structures – the highest number since 2016 – and displacing 1,032 individuals last year.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is considered occupied territory under international law, therefore making all demolitions and Jewish settlements there illegal.

Like Türkiye and much of the international community, the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it has occupied since 1967.​​​​​​​