At least five pupils at a village school in the West Bank have been killed in the last year by settlers and soldiers, according to a report by the Guardian's senior Middle East correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison. The school, Al Mughayyir boys' school, has found itself on the frontline of the conflict, with the village surrounded by settlers and the military blocking all roads except one, which has a checkpoint.
Teacher describes life under siege
Waheed Abu Naim, an English teacher at the school, described his love for his job despite the hardships. "I am happy to be a teacher. Although we don't get lots of money, because my students, especially in the morning, wait for me when I enter the school to shake hands, to smile at me while going inside their classes. So it's a happy life," he said.
But the past year has been anything but happy for Waheed. His village is now surrounded by settlers, and the military has blocked off every road except one, which has a checkpoint. Teachers who live in neighbouring villages cannot always come to work, and the village has faced repeated attacks by settlers.
Deadly attack near playground
In April, a 14-year-old pupil was killed next to a playground gate after a gunman opened fire. As Waheed rushed the teenager to hospital, he learned that his own brother had also been killed in the attack.
Emma Graham-Harrison told Annie Kelly: "We've documented the hundreds of children who've been killed by Israeli soldiers, settlers over the last three years. But even in that context, of sort-of regular deadly violence, there is something particularly horrific about someone taking aim at a school full of children."
Violence expected to escalate
Four other students were also killed, and Graham-Harrison said things do not seem to be getting better. "In the next few months I'm just, very unfortunately, expecting to see at least the same level of violence and frankly, probably an escalation," she said.
The report highlights the ongoing danger faced by students and staff at the school, which has become a symbol of the broader conflict in the West Bank. The international community has repeatedly called for the protection of children in conflict zones, but the situation on the ground remains dire.
