![Palestinian school teachers stand in front of their closed school during a protest, demanding their rights, in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank [Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GettyImages-1247883382-scaled-e1678872923609.jpg)
The demolition of the Yanoun Mixed Elementary School by settlers on Wednesday has intensified concerns over the future of the Palestinian village of Yanoun, east of Nablus, with local officials describing the incident as part of a broader effort to prevent displaced residents from returning. According to Palestinian officials, Yanoun was largely depopulated about eight months ago after repeated settler attacks and escalating security pressures prompted dozens of families to leave the village. Rashid Marar, head of the Yanoun Village Council, said the destruction of the school was not an isolated act but part of what he described as a systematic campaign to remove all remaining signs of Palestinian life in the village. “The school was not just classrooms; it […]