Palestinians clash with Israeli soldiers over an Israeli order to shut down a Palestinian school near the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 15, 2018. Dozens of Palestinian students and their families including officials, headed to al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school in the north of the West Bank Monday morning in defiance of an Israeli army order to close the school. While Israeli soldiers closed the roads leading to the school to prevent the students from reaching it and fired tear gas canisters at the protesters. (Xinhua/Ayman Nobani)
NABLUS, West Bank, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians, including officials, headed to al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school north of the West Bank Monday morning in defiance of an Israeli army order to close the school.
Several were injured as Israeli soldiers used gas bombs and grenades to disperse the Palestinian protestors, said local source.
Witnesses said head of al-Lubban al-Sharqiyeh village council Samer Owais was hit by a rubber-coated bullet and a photojournalist who was covering the events was also injured.
Minister of Education Sabri Saidam and Nablus Governor Akram Rajoub are among protestors who suffocated after inhaling tear gas fired by the soldiers at them, said the locals.
Saidam slammed the Israeli army closure order and said he was there to protect the students who were prevented by a military order from carrying on their daily school classes.
Spokesperson of Palestinian government Yousef Al-Mahmoud described the military order as "a new assault" on Palestinian education. He urged the international community to "stop this occupation assault that is harming all life aspects of the Palestinian people."
Israeli soldiers closed the roads leading to the school to prevent students from reaching it and fired tear gas canisters at the protestors including several children. They also closed the school gates locking the students and people inside.
Israeli authorities informed the Palestinians on Sunday of its decision to shut down the school, which is located on Ramallah-Nablus road, until further notice. They said the reason of the closure is that students threw stones at Israeli soldiers.
