The United Nations expressed its extreme dismay over the demolition operations carried out by the Israeli authorities against a EU-funded primary school for the children of the village of Jubbet ad-Dib, east of Bethlehem, in Area C in the occupied West Bank.
Demolishing the school will directly affect the educational process for at least 40 children, said UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland, stressing the importance of respecting the children's rights to education, calling the Israeli authorities to halt demolitions which are illegal in accordance with the international law.
The Israeli authorities should approve plans that give the right to the Palestinian communities to legally build their homes in the area C to meet their development needs, including those concerned with schools, he added.
He indicated that he had reaffirmed in the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in Brussels last week that such acts would negatively affect the provision of the essential services to Palestinians, in addition to threatening stability and undermining the Palestinian authority, pointing out that the persistent conflict factors, including demolition acts, generate distrust and tension between Palestinians and Israelis, as well as undermining the prospects of achieving a political solution for the conflict.
