ABU NUWAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorized building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

“The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court,” said a statement from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: “The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians.”

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was “the continuation of Israel’s humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life.”</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorised building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

“The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court,” said a statement from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: “The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians.”

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was “the continuation of Israel’s humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life.”</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank: Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorised building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

"The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court," said a statement from Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: "The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians."

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was "the continuation of Israel's humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life."</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the West Bank because they said they were built illegally.



Palestinians condemned the move.



The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.



Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.



It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorized building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

"The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court," said a statement from Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: "The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians."

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was "the continuation of Israel's humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life." (Reporting by Ali Sawafta; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorized building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

“The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court,” said a statement from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: “The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians.”

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was “the continuation of Israel’s humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life.”</s>Abu Nuwar, West Bank: Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorised building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organisations and EU funding, reconstruct it each time.

"The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court," said a statement from Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the EU office in Jerusalem, said: "The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians."

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was "the continuation of Israel's humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life."

Israel has been expanding its reach into the West Bank in recent years with additional settlements.

On Sunday it granted legal status to a previously unauthorised outpost in response to a Palestinian shooting attack last month that killed one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision to retroactively authorise the 50-family outpost of Havat Gilad was meant to "allow the continuation of normal life there".

Palestinian officials condemned the move and said it seemed to be the result of a change in US policy toward Israel.

US President Donald Trump in December recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, breaking with decades of US policy that the city's status must be decided in peace negotiations.

East Jerusalem was captured by Israel in a 1967 war, and Palestinians want it for the capital of a future state.

About 350,000 settlers live in the occupied West Bank and a further 200,000 in occupied East Jerusalem. Beyond the major blocs, most of which are close to the border with Israel, there are more than 100 settlement outposts scattered across hilltops in the West Bank.

Most countries consider settlements illegal – a position reinforced by a UN Security Council resolution passed in December 2016 - and a major obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace as they reduce and fragment the territory Palestinians need for a viable state.</s>Abu Nuwar, West Bank: Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorised building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organisations and EU funding, reconstruct it each time.

"The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court," said a statement from Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the EU office in Jerusalem, said: "The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians."

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was "the continuation of Israel's humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life."

Israel has been expanding its reach into the West Bank in recent years with additional settlements.

On Sunday it granted legal status to a previously unauthorised outpost in response to a Palestinian shooting attack last month that killed one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision to retroactively authorise the 50-family outpost of Havat Gilad was meant to "allow the continuation of normal life there".

Palestinian officials condemned the move and said it seemed to be the result of a change in US policy toward Israel.

US President Donald Trump in December recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, breaking with decades of US policy that the city's status must be decided in peace negotiations.

East Jerusalem was captured by Israel in a 1967 war, and Palestinians want it for the capital of a future state.

About 350,000 settlers live in the occupied West Bank and a further 200,000 in occupied East Jerusalem. Beyond the major blocs, most of which are close to the border with Israel, there are more than 100 settlement outposts scattered across hilltops in the West Bank.

Most countries consider settlements illegal – a position reinforced by a UN Security Council resolution passed in December 2016 - and a major obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace as they reduce and fragment the territory Palestinians need for a viable state.</s>The United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Sunday that at least 45 schools in Palestine were facing the threat of destruction by the Israeli authority.

In a released statement, the OCHA acting Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories Roberto Valent pointed out that a Palestinian school in East Jerusalem was destroyed by Israeli soldiers, and added: "The demolition was carried out on grounds of lack of Israeli-issued permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain."

"As in Abu Nuwar, hundreds of children attending one of at least 45 schools in the West Bank (37 in Area C and 8 in East Jerusalem) with pending demolition orders are living in instability, with the specter of school demolition ever-present, threatening their access to education," Valent said in the statement.

According to the statement, Israeli soldiers destroyed two classrooms serving 26 Palestinian school children in the Bedouin and refugee community of Abu Nuwar, located in Area C on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The education of the children at the school was financed by the European Union, it said noting that the demolishing happened without permission.

Valent added: "Abu Nuwar is one of the most vulnerable communities in need of humanitarian assistance in the occupied West Bank. The conditions it faces also represent those of many Palestinian communities, where a combination of Israeli policies and practices – including demolitions and restricted access to basic services, such as education – have created a coercive environment that violates the human rights of residents and generates a risk of forcible transfer. This is the sixth demolition or confiscation incident in Abu Nuwar school by the Israeli authorities since February 2016."

The 1995 Oslo agreement between Israel and Palestine has divided West Bank into the area 'A', 'B' and 'C'. The administrative and security authority of the area A was given to Palestine while the administration of area B was given to Palestine and security to Israel and in area C areas both administration and security were provided by Israel.

The 700-person Abu Nuwar Bedouin community, who live in the area C, refused to leave their villages despite continuous threats and pressures from the Israeli authority.</s>ABU NUWAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli authorities on Sunday tore down two EU-funded classrooms that were part of a school for Bedouins in the occupied West Bank because they said they were built illegally.

Palestinians condemned the move.

Israeli authorities say such demolitions carry out court rulings against unauthorized building by Palestinians. Palestinians see it as part of a broader move to seize land for potential Jewish settlement expansion.

The two classrooms, which stood separately from the rest of the hilltop school, were demolished early in the morning by a work crew while Israeli security officers closed off the area, according to residents of the Palestinian village Abu Nuwar.

Tens of thousands of Bedouin, once nomads, live in villages across the desert region of southern Israel and in the West Bank.

It was the fifth time the school has been demolished since 2016, Palestinian officials said. Residents, with the help of non-government organizations and E.U. funding, reconstruct it each time.

“The building was built illegally and without the necessary permits. In addition, the enforcement was approved by the Supreme Court,” said a statement from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military-run authority that deals with Palestinian civilian issues.

Shadi Othman, head of media in the E.U. office in Jerusalem, said: “The European Union demanded from Israel more than once not to demolish projects the European Union funds and which aim to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians.”

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said on Twitter the demolition was “the continuation of Israel’s humiliation of international law and only aims to break the Palestinian will for freedom and life.”
Israeli authorities tear down parts of a European Union-funded school in the Palestinian village of Abu Nuwar, on the occupied West Bank, saying it was built illegally. Palestinians say this is the fifth such demolition since 2016, with residents and NGO's each time reconstructing it.