Education International slams Israeli raids on two Palestinian universities
ISRAEL-PALESTINE
Global teachers’ federation Education International (EI) has condemned what it calls violent incursions by Israeli occupation forces into two West Bank university campuses on 9 December. In a statement issued on 10 December, EI described the actions as “violent raids” on Al-Quds University (QU) and Birzeit University (BU) and urged Israeli authorities to halt all attacks on educational institutions immediately.
EI reported that military operations halted campus activities as troops moved in, damaged facilities, and assaulted staff. The organization said that around 4 a.m. Israeli forces stormed Birzeit University, located north of Ramallah, detaining five security guards. Moments later, troops entered Al-Quds University on the outskirts of Jerusalem, with EI noting snipers were positioned on rooftops.
The EI statement argued that the Israeli measures flagrantly breach international norms and conventions designed to protect the sanctity of education. It emphasized that, even in wartime, universities should remain safe spaces where students and academics can pursue critical, independent thinking and knowledge creation. Such attacks, EI argued, erode the fundamental right to education and aggravate the humanitarian and educational crisis in Palestine.
Universities as military zones
Roya News reported that Israeli forces converted the campuses of Al-Quds and Birzeit into temporary military zones after the early morning raids. Field reports and Palestinian media also alleged that six Palestinian youths were arrested near Birzeit University during the operation.
At Al-Quds University, the military focused operations around the Arts, Da’wah (Islamic Call), and Usul al-Din (theology) faculties, according to Roya News. Birzeit University’s council stated that eight military vehicles, jeeps, and armored personnel carriers entered the campus through three entrances, handcuffing campus guards, and raiding multiple buildings. The council noted that the university has faced repeated raids, the most recent prior incident having occurred on 22 September, describing the incursions as part of a “systematic policy” against Palestinian higher education rather than a standalone event.
Photos purported to show the raid appeared on Birzeit University’s official Facebook page. Al-Quds University issued a statement condemning the raid, alleging that Israeli forces conducted on-the-spot interrogations of students in classrooms during regular study, and Al-Quds’s posts on Facebook carried images claimed to depict the raid.
Requests for comment from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through University World News yielded no response regarding the reasons behind the West Bank university raids.
A Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education report tracks Israeli occupation violations against education in Palestine from 7 October 2023 to 9 December 2025. It states that eight universities and colleges in the West Bank have endured repeated assaults and vandalism in this period. The ministry’s statistics indicate that Israeli military actions have killed 37 students and injured 259 in West Bank universities since October 2023, with 490 people arrested (including 463 students and 27 higher education staff).
Appeal to the international community
Birzeit University called on the international community—human rights organizations, academic bodies, and international actors—to defend Palestinian higher education and to take concrete steps to halt violations affecting the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The appeal included protecting universities and educational facilities, ensuring safe environments for learning and research, and holding the occupying power accountable under international law for attacks on educational institutions.
Al-Quds University likewise urged urgent action from international organizations, notably the United Nations, UNESCO, the Association of Arab Universities, academic and human rights groups, and foreign missions in Palestine, to fulfill legal and moral duties in protecting Palestinian universities, staff, and students.
A “systematic” pattern
Jaser Khalil, director of Planning and Quality Control at Al-Quds Open University, told University World News that the raids on Birzeit and Al-Quds are not isolated incidents but part of a continuous, systematic policy of aggressive incursions by Israeli forces. He described a cycle of arrests—whether at homes, checkpoints, or on campuses—carrying out raids at intervals to create the impression of exceptional, security-driven events. He argued that such operations are intended to intimidate people away from joining broader resistance or protests.
EI expressed deep concern that military actions persist despite a ceasefire and Gaza ceasefire agreement reached in October. It reaffirmed its solidarity with Palestinian students, teachers, academics, and education support staff.
Commentary from international legal scholars
Expert analysis from academics frames these campus raids as a fundamental threat to higher education and academic freedom. A professor of international law and human rights described the actions as undermining academic freedom at its core and urged leaders of Israeli universities to speak out in support of Palestinian institutions. Another scholar noted that targeting Palestinian universities can provoke international academic boycotts as a response. A representative of Israel’s scientific community cautioned that such raids are detrimental to Israel’s standing in the global academic community.
What do you think about these events and the response from international bodies? Should universities take a position on these political confrontations, and if so, how should they balance safety with academic freedom? Share your thoughts in the comments.
