Pictures and details- Demolishing an under-construction school in Shu’fat refugee camp
On Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces demolished a building under construction, a new branch of the educational institutionAl-Razi School in Shu'fat refugee camp in Jerusalem.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the occupation forces, accompanied by 3 bulldozers, stormed Shu'fat refugee camp through its main entrance. They surrounded the building and demolished it on the pretext of building without a permit.
Al-Razi school, which was demolished, is located several meters away from the main school, which has been in existence for years. It is attended by more than 1500 students from kindergarten to high school, who have been deprived of their school day due to the storming of the camp and the forces being stationed at the school’s entrance.
The center added that the heavily armed Israeli occupation forces deployed along the road of Shu’fat refugee camp. They ascended the rooftops of the high buildings, "residential and other buildings under construction." They also placed a number of soldiers at the entrance to a health center and a pharmacy, in addition to being stationed in front of commercial stores which obstructed the daily life during the demolition which lasted more than 3 hours.
The head of Al-Razi School, Saleh Alqam, said that the demolition took place without prior warning. The total building area is more than 1000 square meters in addition to public facilities. The construction began last year, and the occupation authorities issued a decision to demolish it last November.
Mr. Alqam added that before the construction process they went to the Ministry of Interior and the municipality of Jerusalem to obtain building permits, and then they were told that the area belongs to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), but the occupation authorities issued demolition orders, with the approval of the Municipal and District courts.
He explained that the school administration decided to expand Al-Razi school after dozens of students registered for the school on the one hand, and the acute shortage in classrooms on another. Currently there are students without study seats, pointing out that 400 students enrolled to attend Al-Razi school new building for the next academic year. The new building wasto be allocated for elementary classrooms and kindergarten.
