Israeli demolitions threaten schools and homes in Masafer Yatta

On the third day of the school year a 12-year-old girl from Khirbet al-Fakhit returned from classes to find the home she had left that morning had been demolished. Local sources say Israeli forces carried out a large-scale operation in the hamlet that razed houses and essential infrastructure including livestock shelters, water systems and solar power units. Education officials in Masafer Yatta say the threat extends beyond private homes to school buildings. They recount that on August 4 a military bulldozer demolished two rooms used by teachers and administrators and a storage room at Shaab al-Butum school; the United Nations independently documented the removal and said Israeli authorities cited absence of an Israeli-issued building permit. The main school structure remains under a demolition order, officials say. Authorities in Israel point to lack of permits as the basis for the removals, while Palestinians and the UN argue that obtaining such permits in Area C — where Israel controls planning and construction — is effectively impossible. Education directors have sought recourse through Israeli courts and appealed to the UN and foreign governments, but local officials say the schools remain exposed to further action. School leaders and students describe deep disruption. Zif Secondary School for Girls, which has about 250 pupils, first received a demolition notice in 2016; after years of legal challenges an appeal was dismissed this year and efforts to secure an interim injunction continue. Headteachers report rising fear and transfers among girls; some warn that removing nearby schools could force students out of education altogether because alternatives are distant and routes can be unsafe. Despite the pressure, students say they intend to keep learning even if buildings are destroyed, sometimes describing plans to continue classes outdoors.