From the Guardian · · 1m 20s
The West Bank school under siege
At Al Mughayyir boys’ school, lessons continue as roads close, settlers attack and pupils are killed.
In brief
At Al Mughayyir boys’ school, lessons continue as roads close, settlers attack and pupils are killed. A school can become a frontline when movement, safety and daily life are squeezed by occupation and settler violence. Originally reported by the Guardian.
A teacher’s joy
Waheed Abu Naim teaches English at Al Mughayyir boys’ school. His happiest moments are simple ones, pupils waiting to greet him each morning.
“I am happy to be a teacher.”
A village cut off
The village is surrounded by settlers. The military has blocked every road but one, and that remaining route runs through a checkpoint.
Teachers cannot arrive
Staff from nearby villages cannot always reach school. The pressure lands on classrooms before lessons even begin.
A pupil killed
In April, a 14-year-old pupil was shot next to a playground gate. As Waheed rushed him to hospital, he learned his own brother had also been killed.
Children in the line
Emma Graham-Harrison says hundreds of children have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in recent years. A school full of pupils being targeted still feels especially shocking.
“there is something particularly horrific about someone taking aim at a school full of children.”
Fear of escalation
Four other students were killed too. Graham-Harrison expects violence to stay at the same level, or get worse, in the coming months.
“probably an escalation.”
The key point
A school can become a frontline when movement, safety and daily life are squeezed by occupation and settler violence.
