Education International condemns the Israeli military attack on Birzeit University
Education International (EI) strongly condemns the military raid carried out by Israeli forces on the campus of Birzeit University, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Education International reaffirms that attacks on students, teachers, and educational institutions are violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
In line with EI resolutions and international norms, including the Safe Schools Declaration, we call on all governments to prevent, condemn, and respond to attacks on education and to guarantee that schools and universities remain zones of peace and knowledge, free from military violence and political intimidation.
The Israeli armed intrusion into the Birzeit University facilities was carried out at a time when many educators, students, and faculty staff were present. The soldiers fired live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades directly at them. The university reported that several students sustained gunshot injuries.
Education International stands in solidarity with the educators, students, faculty and staff of Birzeit University, and with all education communities in Palestine, who continue to face threats to their safety.
We also reaffirm our unwavering support to our member organisations in Palestine – the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT), the General Union of Workers in Kindergarten and Private Schools (GUWKPS), and the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE).
We call on the international community, including governments, UN bodies, and global education partners, to exert effective pressure to halt the military aggressions on Palestinian education, to ensure the protection of all educational institutions, and to reaffirm that learning environments must remain safe spaces at all times.
