PA MINISTRY CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACK ON AL-QUDS CAMPUS

Al Quds, 22 Rabi’ul Awwal 1435/24 Januari 2014 (MINA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education on Wednesday strongly condemned an Isryeli raid on Al-Quds University campus in Abu Dis in which dozens of students suffered tear gas inhalation and university property was damaged.

The PA ministry denounced the attack as “desecrating the sanctity of the institution, obstructing the educational process,” and “intentionally horrifying thousands of students and staff members by utilizing all terrorist means including random heavy firing.”

The raid on Wednesday was part of a “continuous and systematic context of violations against the Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, including the educational institutions and their cadres,” a statement added.

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These violations aim to challenge the Palestinian presence in occupied East Jerusalem and push Palestinian society towards ignorance and poverty, the ministry said, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The raid on the university campus is “military aggression” which is in contravention of international norms which stress for educational institutions to remain neutral.

Israeli forces raided the Abu Dis campus on Wednesday and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at students, preventing them from leaving the area.

A popular committee spokesman told Ma’an that over 100 Palestinians, including university students, faculty, and staff, suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, while witnesses said the escalation was the most severe in years.

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The Abu Dis campus of Al-Quds University was the site of frequent raids in 2013, often leading to closures and delays in lectures.

Dozens of students have been injured in the raids and university property has been damaged. (T/P015/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)