The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education condemned the killing of two Palestinian students during an invasion by Israeli forces and illegal paramilitary colonizers in the town of Al‑Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank.
In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry said Israeli forces and colonizers killed 16‑year‑old Khalil Rassem Abu Alia, a tenth‑grade student from Al‑Mughayyir, and 19‑year‑old Omar Mohammad Naji Al‑Naasan, a first‑year Birzeit University student who was preparing to begin the academic year later this month.
The ministry said the killings were part of escalating attacks by colonizers against Palestinians, carried out under the protection of Israeli forces. It described the incident as a grave violation of the right to life and security and an assault on the future of Palestinian youth.
According to the ministry, the attack is part of a broader pattern of assaults targeting Palestinians, including schools, universities, students, and educational staff. It warned that continued targeting of the education sector threatens Palestinians’ right to education.
The ministry called on international human rights organizations and legal bodies to document the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and take concrete steps to stop attacks by colonizers and Israeli forces.
It extended condolences to the families of Abu Alia and Al‑Naasan and to the residents of Al‑Mughayyir, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the rights of Palestinian children and youth to life and education.
The ministry added that attacks on Palestinian youth would not deter them from pursuing their education or exercising their right to remain on their land.
