Students recount settler attack on West Bank elementary school, Reuters reports

By Mohammed Torokman and Ali Sawafta

JERICHO/RAMALLAH (Reuters) – On Tuesday, half of the students at an elementary school in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were absent from classes, following an attack by Jewish settlers the previous day. The violence has intensified since the recent outbreak of conflict in Gaza.

According to Palestinian officials, the assault, which left seven people injured, has raised concerns among Israel’s allies, including the United States, who have urged restraint in the West Bank as the situation escalates and casualties rise in Gaza.

A video recorded by Israeli activists that circulated online showed a group of young men attacking individuals in the yard of Al-Ka’abneh school, located in a Bedouin area near Jericho, during the incident on Monday.

"Today, half of the students did not attend school due to the fear and terror they experienced from the settlers’ attack yesterday," stated Ahmed Nasser, a representative from the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

Violence against Palestinian communities had already been on the rise prior to the Gaza conflict, fueled by rampant settlement construction across the West Bank. Since the onset of hostilities on October 7, when Hamas-led forces initiated attacks on Israel, there has been a noticeable increase in violent incidents involving Israeli settlers. Recent figures from the U.N. humanitarian agency indicated an average of four such attacks per day.

Student Aya Mlehat recounted, "We were in class when we heard that settlers were attacking the schools. I managed to gather my siblings to keep them safe. We huddled in a classroom while the settlers banged on the door, trying to force it open."

Another student, Malak Mlehat, described the chaos, saying, "The army came along with the settlers. We ran and hid in a classroom with a teacher. He told us to stay low under the tables and to be quiet."

The Israeli military stated that settlers arrived at the scene following reports of an Israeli civilian sustaining a head injury during a clash with Palestinians. In a press release, the military confirmed that a confrontation ensued, resulting in injuries to several Palestinians, and noted that soldiers and police responded by detaining several individuals in the area.

Countries like the United States have begun imposing sanctions on specific individuals and are facing increasing pressure to take further action, particularly with regard to curbing settlement expansion on land that Palestinians envision as part of their future state as part of the two-state solution advocated by many Western nations.

At the same time, Israeli forces have conducted near-daily operations in the West Bank, resulting in thousands of arrests and frequent violent clashes with Palestinian fighters. Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, over 703 Palestinians, including both armed individuals and unarmed civilians, have reportedly been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

In contrast, approximately 40 Israeli troops and civilians have lost their lives due to attacks by Palestinians or in confrontations with armed groups, as reported by Israel’s internal security agency.

Most nations consider Jewish settlements established on land occupied during the 1967 Middle East war to be illegal, and the expansion of these settlements has long been a deeply contentious issue between Israel, the Palestinians, and the international community. Israel, however, points to historical, biblical, and political justifications for its claims to the area.