Palestinians protest Israeli closure of West Bank school

Palestinian officials and families took part in a protest to stop the closure of al-Sawiya school but were confronted by Israeli forces firing tear gas, Reuters reported.

Four people were hit by rubber bullets, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, with a number of others affected by tear gas.

Palestinian Education Minister Sabri Saidam, who was present at the protest, said the decision to close down the school where over 500 students are enrolled was "catastrophic".

"Stopping education in Palestine can be catastrophic by all means. We reject these military measures," he said.

School student Mousa Rami said the decision was "unfair", adding that his school was for education and "not for war or torture".

The Israeli army on Sunday issued an order to close the school, claiming that it has been a "source of violence" for months, reporting that children threw stones at Israeli forces and nearby settlers.

"In response to the large number of popular terror acts endangering Israeli and Palestinian civilians driving on the road... the area of the school was declared a closed military zone," the Israeli forces said.

The roads leading to the school were sealed off in attempt to prevent students from reaching it, Ma'an news agency reported.

Israel occupied the West Bank during a 1967 war and 400,000 Israeli settlers remain there, in communities considered illegal by the international community.