Israeli forces have fired tear gas at Palestinian schoolchildren staging a sit-in in the occupied West Bank after settlers blocked access to their school. The incident occurred in the village of Umm al-Khair, in the Masafer Yatta region, on the first day back at school following a suspension of lessons due to the Iran war.
The schoolchildren and local residents had gathered near a barbed wire fence erected by Israeli settlers from the nearby Carmel settlement, which prevented pupils from reaching their school. Witnesses said the sit-in involved an open-air class, during which troops fired tear gas canisters, causing children to flee and scream.
Twelve-year-old Sarah al-Hathaleen said: 'We were sitting and they threw a grenade at us. I got scared and started screaming and ran away.' Another pupil, Rashid al-Hathaleen, aged 11, added: 'Last night we were excited for school today. The Israelis came and closed the road with barbed wire … we want to be back in school.'
Bassam Jabr, director of education for the Masafer Yatta area, confirmed the children were holding a sit-in. He said settlers were 'trying to tighten the noose on us in every way' and that they would continue the protest until a solution is found. The Israeli military said it had dispatched troops to disperse an 'unusual gathering' and reported no injuries.
The Masafer Yatta region is a known hotspot for settler violence and Palestinian home demolitions. In August 2025, Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen was killed by a settler in Umm al-Khair. Settler violence across the West Bank has surged since the outbreak of the Iran war.
