Israeli Forces Fire Tear Gas at Palestinian Schoolchildren in West Bank Protest
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 13
Israeli Forces Fire Tear Gas at Palestinian Schoolchildren in West Bank Protest
10 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 13
Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinian schoolchildren holding a sit-in in Masafer Yatta, West Bank, after settlers blocked access to their school.
The incident occurred as children and residents protested a barbed wire fence erected by settlers, disrupting the first school day since classes were suspended.
Masafer Yatta is a hotspot for settler violence and home demolitions, with tensions heightened since the Iran war and ongoing settlement expansion.
What is the psychological toll on children who are tear-gassed on their way to school?
Why has an Oscar-winning film failed to protect its Palestinian subjects from escalating violence?
Is the ongoing war with Iran providing cover for Israel's annexation of the West Bank?
With Israel's new land policy, what legal options remain for Palestinians to save their homes?
What evidence supports the claim that Masafer Yatta was uninhabited before becoming a military zone?
Why are Palestinian building permits systematically denied while settler construction is fast-tracked?
27% Surge in Settler Attacks and Tear Gas Assault on Palestinian Schoolchildren in Umm al-Khair, April 2026
Overview
On April 13, 2026, Palestinian children in Umm al-Khair protested a barbed wire fence erected by settlers that blocked their school access on the first day classes resumed after a 40-day suspension caused by Israeli checkpoint closures linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Israeli forces responded with tear gas, injuring children and causing panic. This incident reflects a broader surge in settler violence and settlement expansion fueled by the war, which also distracted international attention and enabled harsher military restrictions and demolitions. These combined pressures severely disrupt Palestinian life, education, and safety across the West Bank.