Israeli occupation forces invaded the area surrounding the Silwan Boys’ Preparatory School today, in Silwan, located south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, coinciding with a peaceful protest organized by residents and students.
The protest was held in opposition to Israel’s coercive policies aimed at relocating the school and imposing an Israeli curriculum, part of broader efforts to erode Palestinian educational sovereignty.
Local sources confirmed that Israeli troops gave protesters only minutes to disperse, threatening escalation if they remained.
In response to these measures, the Central Parents’ Committee of Silwan and Ras al-Amoud announced a comprehensive and open-ended strike across all schools in the town, beginning this morning.
The strike is a direct rejection of what the committee described as “unjust and arbitrary decisions” imposed by the Israeli municipality targeting Palestinian students and schools.
In a statement, the committee emphasized that these policies violate students’ fundamental right to education and jeopardize their academic future.
It affirmed that protest actions will continue until the decisions are revoked and legitimate demands are met.
The committee urged all parents to fully adhere to the strike and refrain from sending their children to school, stressing that the initiative is a collective stand to defend the sacred right to education.
It further condemned the Israeli measures as part of a systematic campaign to dominate the education sector in occupied Jerusalem and erase Palestinian identity and history.
Residents of Silwan and Ras al-Amoud, the statement concluded, will persist in their lawful struggle to safeguard their children’s future and uphold justice.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers and officers were deployed at the entrance of Silwan Secondary School for Boys and began ordering families and students to vacate the area.
