Arab Campaign for Education for all and Palestinian Education Coalition fiercely condemn the ongoing crimes by Israeli Occupation against Palestinians especially children and today’s bombing of civilian homes. Furthermore, several educational institutions and schools have been severely damaged as a result of the barbaric bombardment by the Israeli Forces air strikes.

Arab Campaign for Education for all holds the Israeli entity fully responsible for these violations and crimes as well as the losses and possible repercussions of the ongoing aggression and incursions against the Palestinians in the Gaza strip and all the occupied territories.

Arab Campaign for Education for all underscores targeting civilian homes and institutions as well as media and press organizations headquarters and other civilian infrastructures are war crimes and should not be tolerated any longer.   These are clear violations of international law and Israeli entity duties as an occupation force in protecting educational buildings during armed conflicts.  It is an attack on the right to education and an explicit violation of the immunities and privileges of the United Nations Organization and its institutions, including UNRWA.

Arab Campaign for Education for all points out that the disregard by the international community of its obligations to protect the Palestinian people - including refugees and children - and their right of return and self- determination and not taking serious actions towards the realization of their rights and the implementation of resolutions of international legitimacy; encourages the Israeli occupation to further its crimes day after day. This war is a series of bloody attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip in an explicit violation of all the international charters, treaties, conventions, and relevant international resolutions on the Palestinian question.

Arab Campaign for Education for all has demanded the international community and the Secretary General of the United Nations and UNESCO to break their silence to condemn and investigate the ongoing, extensive, and systemic crimes committed by the Israeli forces against the rights of the Palestinians, educational institutions and children. Furthermore, the Campaign has demanded to: hold the Israeli entity accountable and end impunity for such crimes; and the need to include this entity, its various instruments of occupation, its army and terrorist settlers on the United Nations list of those who violate the rights of children during armed conflicts.

Arab Campaign for Education for all also demands to include the ongoing attacks by the Israeli forces against the educational institutions under the resolution of the General Assembly of United Nations which was adopted in its 74 session; “The International Day to Protect Education from Attackâ€‌. This resolution reaffirms the right to education for all and the importance of ensuring safe enabling learning environments in humanitarian emergencies, conflicts and wars. Moreover, to continue mobilizing international support to ensure accountability for these ongoing and deliberate attacks on education and armed violence that have a grave impact on children in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, to highlight the suffering of the affected Palestinian children and their urgent need for educational support and commitment of efficient mechanisms to hold the Israeli attackers accountable and end impunity.  

Arab Campaign for Education for all emphasizes that education provides the Palestinian children - who are exposed to danger in all the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem and affected by the ongoing and barbarian procedures and practices of the Israeli forces - with stability and hope for a better future. 

Arab Campaign for Education for all and its partners believe that this crisis is an opportunity to shed light on the plight of more than 1.6 million Palestinian students who are in a great need of sustained education due to their exposure to various crises caused by the occupation.

 

Arab Campaign for Education for all and its partners stress that the United Nations organizations and the international community hold a responsibility to provide protection and ensure quality, equitable and inclusive education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, at all levels especially those in vulnerable situations. Moreover, the Campaign emphasizes the importance of ensuring safe enabling learning environments in humanitarian emergencies through adequate funding and infrastructural investments and to take all feasible measures to protect schools, students, teachers and staff from Israeli attacks, to refrain from actions that impede children’s access to education, and to facilitate access to education in armed conflicts such as the one the Gaza Strip is currently going through.

 Arab Campaign for Education for all confirms that international organizations have documented more than 100 attacks on Palestinian schools from 2017 to 2019 by the Israeli forces and settlers. The report “Attacks on Education 2020â€‌ pointed out that the Israeli air strikes on Gaza have caused damages to more than 35 schools between 2017 and 2019 which have had a grave impact on more than 27000 Palestinian students.

 Arab Campaign for Education for all and partners confirm that in the light of all these serious facts; these attacks do not only cause death or injury to students and teachers as individuals, but also have grave effects on societies for years. As a result of demolishing schools, destroying educational materials, students and teachers living in fear; schools and universities will be forced to close, and students will be deprived from finishing their education. This hinders development in the long run. 

 Finally, Arab Campaign for Education for all and its partners call all the Arab civilian community organizations for joining their regional campaign of Advocacy for Education in the Gaza Strip by using the hashtag (# StopAttackonEducationinGaza). The campaign has started its activities with the launch of this statement. It shall include national and regional activities that highlight the grave impacts of attacks on education in Gaza and find ways to protect the right to education. We condemn the Israeli occupation which violates this right and say “enoughâ€‌.

 

The Secretary of Arab Campaign for Education for all (ACEA)

The Palestinian Educational Coalitions 

Dated in 12th May 2021