Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, drawing harsh condemnation from the European Union.
COGAT, a branch of the Israeli military, said in a statement that the building, located about 2 km from Bethlehem, had been constructed illegally and "was found to be dangerous to the safety of anyone studying or otherwise visiting there," and thus an Israeli court "had ordered it demolished."
The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians, on its official Twitter account, said it was "appalled" by the school's demolition, which it said would affect 60 Palestinian children. The demolition was "illegal under international law" and would "only increase the suffering of the Palestinian population and further escalate an already tense environment," the EU delegation said.