Despite international norms that designate educational institutions as protected civilian spaces, Israeli occupation continues to violate these protections in the Palestinian context, where universities face repeated assaults that undermine academic freedom and disrupt learning.
Early Monday morning, Israeli occupation forces stormed the campus of Birzeit University, located north of Ramallah, in a heavily armed incursion.
According to local sources, Israeli occupation forces detained university security staff in one building and subjected them to mistreatment. They also raided Nasseeb Shaheen Auditorium, confiscated property belonging to the student movement, vandalised other belongings, and posted threatening leaflets aimed at students.
This is not the first such assault: Birzeit University has been raided at least 22 times since 2002, involving arrests of students and staff, property destruction, and the seizure of student materials and political activities.
These incursions constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits targeting educational facilities. Such institutions are protected as civilian infrastructure under multiple legal frameworks.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights affirms that education must be safeguarded from threats and militarisation. Furthermore, the UN Safe Schools Declaration of 2015 obliges states to shield educational environments from military use or attack.
Ongoing attacks on Birzeit University, and other Palestinian academic institutions, do not only threaten the right to education but also erode the supposed protections of students and staff. The international community must take a firm stance to uphold international law and ensure accountability for these repeated violations.
