Illegal settlers raid school in occupied West Bank, replace Palestinian flag with Israeli one
Attackers spray racist graffiti on walls at Hawara Secondary School for Boys, escalating tensions as settler violence in the occupied West Bank surges with support from Israeli forces.
Illegal Israeli settlers stormed a school early on Monday in the occupied West Bank, removing the Palestinian flag and spraying racist graffiti on the walls, local sources reported.
The Hawara Secondary School for Boys, south of Nablus, was targeted as the settlers lowered the Palestinian flag and raised the Israeli flag on the school pole. Racist slogans in Hebrew, including “death to Arabs,” were scrawled on the walls.
The Palestinian Education Ministry condemned the attack as a violation of the sanctity of educational institutions, describing it as part of “a series of ongoing violations targeting schools, students, and educational staff” that threaten the right to learn in a safe environment.
Increasing violence by illegal settlers
In February alone, illegal settlers carried out 511 attacks across occupied West Bank, killing seven Palestinians by gunfire. Since Israel's genocide in Gaza began on October 8, 2023, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed 1,133 Palestinians, injured around 11,700, and arrested roughly 22,000.
The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.