Palestinians establish Freedom School as alternative to Israeli-controlled classroom

Children from Umm al-Khair Village in the West Bank Protest Over Fence Blocking School Access

A group of children from Umm al-Khair village in the West Bank marched towards a fence blocking their path to school on Sunday morning. The five-year-old girl, Masa Hathaleen, stood before the barbed wire fence and pleaded with soldiers to open it, stating that she and her classmates were not doing anything wrong.

The children, carrying book bags, held up posters and sang songs as they approached the fence, which was erected by settlers without legal authorization. The Israeli military had previously closed schools in the area during the US-Israeli war on Iran, but allowed them to reopen last week under a ceasefire agreement.

However, when the children arrived at school, they found the fence blocking their route, approximately one kilometer away from the school. When they attempted to circumvent the barrier, soldiers used tear gas and sound grenades against them, causing a violent incident. The head of the Umm al-Khair village council, Khalil Hathaleen, described the situation as “very violent” and stated that some children have not returned to the site due to fear.

Security camera footage showed settlers erecting the fence under cover of darkness. Despite being erected without permission, soldiers have refused to remove it. The barrier is located in a community that faces imminent demolition orders due to a lack of building permits. Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, where this incident occurred, often face difficulties obtaining permits.

The Umm al-Khair Freedom School initiative was launched by the community as part of their efforts to regain access to their school. On Sunday, parents, teachers, and community members marched alongside their children, holding a banner that read “Umm al-Khair Freedom School”. The soldiers on the other side of the fence watched the scene unfold, with some waving mockingly or mimicking the children’s songs.

For several hours, the children banged on drums and sang defiantly while the soldiers observed from a distance. At times, they sat down on rocks adjacent to the barbed wire and began working on their schoolwork, which had been denied to them for over 50 days. The community is seeking to assert its right to education, with Tareq Hathaleen, a teacher at the blocked school, stating that “education is a right for everyone”.

Source: Al Jazeera