23 dec 2013
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired teargas at Palestinian students while sitting to their final term exams at the Open Quds University in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday. Information coordinator at the university Mohammed Abu Zeit told the PIC that a number of students suffered breathing difficulty.
He added that car windows were shattered in the raid, but said that no serious injuries were reported among the students and employees.
IOF soldiers routinely attack the Quds University and its students even inside their campus and lecture rooms. Hundreds of students were treated for rubber bullet wounds and suffocation since the first term for the new academic year started.
He added that car windows were shattered in the raid, but said that no serious injuries were reported among the students and employees.
IOF soldiers routinely attack the Quds University and its students even inside their campus and lecture rooms. Hundreds of students were treated for rubber bullet wounds and suffocation since the first term for the new academic year started.
22 dec 2013
Israeli soldiers stationed near a Qalqiliya-area village prevented students from reaching school on Sunday morning, a local official said.
Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint at the entrance to Azzun Atma village in the northern West Bank prevented students from neighboring Beit Amin village from attending their school inside Azzun Atma, chairman of Beit Amin village council Taqi Omar told Ma'an.
He said that on Sunday morning students had left for school in Azzun Atma like on any other day, but Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrance to the village prevented the male students from passing, even as they allowed the female students to go.
Omar added that they had informed the education directorate in Qalqiliya as well as the Palestinian liaison of the incident.
An Israeli spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Although Azzun Atma and Beit Amin are located directly next to each other, the Israeli settlement of Sha'are Tiqwa was built on a small hill between them, thus cutting the villages off from each other.
Azzun al-Atma is encircled by Israeli settlements and restricted zones, much of which are on land confiscated from local farmers. However, the school for Beit Amin students is located inside Azzun Atma, forcing local students to pass through the checkpoint in order to attend.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
Israeli soldiers stationed at the checkpoint at the entrance to Azzun Atma village in the northern West Bank prevented students from neighboring Beit Amin village from attending their school inside Azzun Atma, chairman of Beit Amin village council Taqi Omar told Ma'an.
He said that on Sunday morning students had left for school in Azzun Atma like on any other day, but Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrance to the village prevented the male students from passing, even as they allowed the female students to go.
Omar added that they had informed the education directorate in Qalqiliya as well as the Palestinian liaison of the incident.
An Israeli spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Although Azzun Atma and Beit Amin are located directly next to each other, the Israeli settlement of Sha'are Tiqwa was built on a small hill between them, thus cutting the villages off from each other.
Azzun al-Atma is encircled by Israeli settlements and restricted zones, much of which are on land confiscated from local farmers. However, the school for Beit Amin students is located inside Azzun Atma, forcing local students to pass through the checkpoint in order to attend.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
14 dec 2013
Palestinian Authority officials have decided to keep all government institutions and schools closed again on Sunday as the West Bank struggles to battle historic snowfall and record low temperatures.
The PA Information Office said in a statement on Saturday that in order to "ensure the safety of citizens," all state institutions besides hospital emergency units and the civil defense would remain closed again on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes in the West Bank as authorities sought to improve road conditions.
The PA Information Office said in a statement on Saturday that in order to "ensure the safety of citizens," all state institutions besides hospital emergency units and the civil defense would remain closed again on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes in the West Bank as authorities sought to improve road conditions.
11 dec 2013
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The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education closed schools in several districts across the West Bank on Wednesday after heavy rainfall overnight.
Abdul-Hakim Abu Jamous, a spokesman for the ministry of education, told Ma'an Tuesday that the ministry's local offices were authorized to take decisions to close schools in their districts. A snowstorm is expected to hit Palestine on Thursday and Friday, according to the Palestinian meteorological department. Snow is expected in areas 800 meters above Sea Level. |
Police and civil defense services, as well as municipalities and the ministries of agriculture, health and public works, announced a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian civil defense services, Luay Bani Audah, confirmed to Ma'an that all preparations have been completed, and civil defense centers across the West Bank have received additional equipment expected to be needed for emergencies.
Police forces have set up emergency operation rooms, public relations officer Mansour Khzeimiya told Ma'an, and additional traffic police have deployed across the West Bank.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian civil defense services, Luay Bani Audah, confirmed to Ma'an that all preparations have been completed, and civil defense centers across the West Bank have received additional equipment expected to be needed for emergencies.
Police forces have set up emergency operation rooms, public relations officer Mansour Khzeimiya told Ma'an, and additional traffic police have deployed across the West Bank.
3 dec 2013
Gaza Education Ministry has signed an agreement with Islamic Relief to build five new schools across Gaza Strip equipped with solar power at a total cost of approximately six million dollars donated by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to support the Palestinian people in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank - Jeddah. Representatives from Education Ministry topped by Dr. Anwar Buraawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs, and representatives from the Islamic Relief Foundation have attended the signing ceremony.
The schools are expected to be built in different districts of the besieged Strip. Two primary and secondary schools are scheduled to be built west of the Strip, while two other secondary schools are planned to be built in central Gaza. In addition, a primary school is going to be built in Rafah.
The new schools are scheduled to open classes in December 2014; however the acute shortage of building materials may hinder their construction timetable.
Buraawi stressed the ministry's keenness to build the new schools despite all obstacles caused by the Israeli continued siege on the Strip. More than 4,440 students would benefit from the project that will ease the overcrowded classrooms in Gaza schools, he continued.
The schools are expected to be built in different districts of the besieged Strip. Two primary and secondary schools are scheduled to be built west of the Strip, while two other secondary schools are planned to be built in central Gaza. In addition, a primary school is going to be built in Rafah.
The new schools are scheduled to open classes in December 2014; however the acute shortage of building materials may hinder their construction timetable.
Buraawi stressed the ministry's keenness to build the new schools despite all obstacles caused by the Israeli continued siege on the Strip. More than 4,440 students would benefit from the project that will ease the overcrowded classrooms in Gaza schools, he continued.
30 nov 2013
Union of Palestinian teachers, working in the government schools in the West Bank, decided to strike starting from Saturday until next Tuesday to protest low salaries. The Union said in a press statement that the mass strike will continue for Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and that the teachers and staff at the ministry and directorates will be leaving their workplaces at eleven.
It added that a mass sit-in will take place on Tuesday in front of the Council of Ministers starting from 9:00 a.m.
The Union said "A meeting was held yesterday evening with the government but did not result in any change in the government's position concerning including the employees in the previous agreement."
It urged in its statement the government of Rami Hamdallah to meet their fair demands as soon as possible, "so that stability would return to the educational process."
It added that a mass sit-in will take place on Tuesday in front of the Council of Ministers starting from 9:00 a.m.
The Union said "A meeting was held yesterday evening with the government but did not result in any change in the government's position concerning including the employees in the previous agreement."
It urged in its statement the government of Rami Hamdallah to meet their fair demands as soon as possible, "so that stability would return to the educational process."
11 nov 2013
Large numbers of Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Seelat Al-Harthiya village, west of Jenin, on Monday morning and fired teargas and sound bombs at a school. Local sources said that dozens of students in the secondary school along with teachers and citizens were treated for gas inhalation.
They said that the students and citizens clashed with the soldiers and threw stones at them while the soldiers opened heavy gunfire to disperse the angry crowds.
The soldiers also set up a roadblock at the entrance to the village and provoked passing citizens, the sources said.
They said that the students and citizens clashed with the soldiers and threw stones at them while the soldiers opened heavy gunfire to disperse the angry crowds.
The soldiers also set up a roadblock at the entrance to the village and provoked passing citizens, the sources said.
9 nov 2013
Students in Gaza appealed to the international community to immediately intervene to save their school year that is threatened due to the continued power outages after the shutdown of Gaza’s power plant. The operation of the Gaza power plant was totally stopped due to the lack of fuel and the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) was forced to increase the hours of power outages which may last up to 18 hours daily.
GEDCO is forced to supply power to houses for only six hours daily which resulted in further deterioration in humanitarian conditions of the Gaza Strip’s population.
Nearly eighty students from Gaza schools, in addition to a number of teachers, participated on Thursday evening in a sit-in organized to reveal their suffering in light of the siege and the continued power cuts. The Islamic bloc organized the event near Fakhoura school in Jabaliya refugee camp to the north of Gaza.
The students called on the international community to help them and put an end to the power crisis.
Hani Moqbel, head of the Islamic bloc in Palestine, stressed in a speech he delivered during the event that the Israeli occupation attempts to persecute the people will not stop the educational process in Gaza.
The aggravation of electricity crisis has coincided with the mid-term exams that started about a week ago in the schools and universities of the Gaza Strip. The majority of governmental schools is still without electricity and cannot provide the students with alternatives.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) expressed deep concern over the deterioration of humanitarian conditions of the civilian population due to the aggravation of the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR is deeply concerned that the current crisis may impact the access of 1.7 million Palestinians to vital services, including the supply of drinking water, and that this crisis may result in the suspension of work in some vital sectors, such as health, sanitation and education.
The center said in a statement: "Educational facilities in universities and educational institutions are suffering serious disorder, which led to the inactivity of many educational laboratories and the postponement of some educational assignments due to electricity shortage and lack of alternative power sources."
GEDCO is forced to supply power to houses for only six hours daily which resulted in further deterioration in humanitarian conditions of the Gaza Strip’s population.
Nearly eighty students from Gaza schools, in addition to a number of teachers, participated on Thursday evening in a sit-in organized to reveal their suffering in light of the siege and the continued power cuts. The Islamic bloc organized the event near Fakhoura school in Jabaliya refugee camp to the north of Gaza.
The students called on the international community to help them and put an end to the power crisis.
Hani Moqbel, head of the Islamic bloc in Palestine, stressed in a speech he delivered during the event that the Israeli occupation attempts to persecute the people will not stop the educational process in Gaza.
The aggravation of electricity crisis has coincided with the mid-term exams that started about a week ago in the schools and universities of the Gaza Strip. The majority of governmental schools is still without electricity and cannot provide the students with alternatives.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) expressed deep concern over the deterioration of humanitarian conditions of the civilian population due to the aggravation of the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR is deeply concerned that the current crisis may impact the access of 1.7 million Palestinians to vital services, including the supply of drinking water, and that this crisis may result in the suspension of work in some vital sectors, such as health, sanitation and education.
The center said in a statement: "Educational facilities in universities and educational institutions are suffering serious disorder, which led to the inactivity of many educational laboratories and the postponement of some educational assignments due to electricity shortage and lack of alternative power sources."