IOF start arrest campaign targeting Birzeit University Student Council
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The Israeli occupation forces carried out an arrest and search campaign inside the campus of Birzeit University.
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The effects of the Israeli occupation forces raid on an office belonging to the Student Council of Birzeit University were reported on September 24, 2023 (Palestinian media)
On Sunday, Israeli occupation forces conducted a raid on Birzeit University, situated north of Ramallah, during which they apprehended the president of the student council, along with several council members and members of the Islamic Bloc, the student wing of the Hamas movement.
Additionally, they inflicted damage on the student council's premises.
The occupation forces apprehended several individuals within the university campus, including Abdul Majeed Hassan, the President of the Student Council, Amr Khalil, the Coordinator of the Islamic Bloc, Abdullah Najm, the Secretary of the Specializations Committee, Ahmed Aweidat, the Secretary of the Sports Committee, Yahya Farah, a member of the Student Council Conference, Mahmoud Nakhla, a former Student Council member, and Hassan Alwan, a student.
The occupation forces vandalized students' possessions and belongings, conducting searches within the university campus. Palestinian eyewitnesses reported the presence of approximately 20 Israeli military vehicles in the vicinity of the university.
Birzeit University #denounces the Israeli occupation’s #raid on the university campus and arrest of students this morning. A large number of #Israeli forces raided the university campus, #arrested students and attacked the university property. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/2uJsx8esVM
— Birzeit University (@BirzeitU) September 24, 2023
In response to the raid, the university administration condemned the incursion, student arrests, and property destruction. In a statement, they described the raid as a "blatant violation of international norms and conventions that prohibit desecrating the sanctity of universities and educational institutions." They emphasized their commitment to working with legal experts and institutions to ensure the well-being of the detained students.
During a press conference on Sunday, the Islamic Bloc condemned the occupation forces' intrusion onto the university campus, the vandalism of the Student Council headquarters, and the detention of students, including council members and Islamic Bloc members. The bloc called upon human rights organizations and legal entities to denounce, criminalize, and pursue legal action against the aggression by the occupation.
Hamas, in a statement on Sunday, affirmed that the arrests conducted by the occupation forces on Birzeit University's campus constitute "a new Zionist crime" that will not weaken the resolve of the student movement and the wider Palestinian population supporting resistance in Palestinian educational institutions.
It emphasized that the occupation's actions reflect its apprehension regarding the student movement's activities and its vital national role amid the ongoing struggle with the occupation, especially in light of Israeli incursions at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Jewish holidays.
We express our grave concern over and denunciation of the raid on Birzeit University main campus by Israeli occupation forces in the early morning. These attacks are direct violations of international laws that forbid any violation against the #right_of_education @Right2Edu pic.twitter.com/gwGpw2Fj1b
— Birzeit University (@BirzeitU) December 14, 2021
The movement called upon the Palestinian populace to rally further behind the resistance option and its legitimate national agenda upheld by the student movement. It also urged university administrations to protect students and elected councils, firmly opposing any attempts to violate the sanctity of educational institutions and target students.
Hamas underscored that the Palestinian student movement will continue to serve as a safeguard against the occupation's schemes and settler provocations, asserting that the occupation cannot diminish the resilience of the students who have consistently proven their unwavering commitment to the national cause throughout history.
