Sourced fact
The News
Israeli forces demolished the martyrs' monument at Birzeit University in the West Bank on Monday, sparking outrage among students and Palestinian officials. Israeli soldiers entered the university campus early Monday morning and destroyed the memorial bearing the names of students and graduates killed by Israeli forces. The university administration responded to the attack, stating that it constitutes a violation of international law and threatens education and national memory.
This operation is part of an ongoing series of Israeli attacks on the university, which has seen five such incidents since the beginning of 2026 and twenty-eight since 2002. The university erected the memorial between 1994 and 1996, adding names of students and graduates who were killed over the years. The most recent name added to the monument was Omar Al-Nassri, who was killed in a confrontation with settlers in September 2023.
Students at the university expressed their anger at the demolition, noting that this step aims to intimidate and silence them. Sami Adel, a student at the university, stated that soldiers arrested him three weeks ago and threatened him with long-term imprisonment if he participated in any political activity on campus.
This step is part of a broader Israeli policy targeting Palestinian memorials to martyrs in the West Bank. In August of last year, Member of the Knesset Zvi Sokol demolished a memorial in the village of Madama south of Nablus, and the Israeli army announced that it was removing symbols that "stir up incitement." The Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also proposed a list of approximately forty Palestinian memorials to be demolished.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
Analytically, the Israeli attack on Birzeit University is part of a broader policy targeting the destruction of Palestinian symbols that commemorate victims. This policy aims to erase the collective memory of the Palestinian people, thereby weakening their capacity to resist and preserve their cultural and political identity.
Palestinian universities, such as Birzeit University, are important symbols of Palestinian resilience and identity. Historically, these universities have been sites of anti-occupation activism, making them primary targets for Israeli repression.
In a wider context, these attacks are part of a broader campaign targeting Palestinian cultural and social symbols in the West Bank, including cities such as Jenin. This campaign aims to undermine Palestinian identity and reinforce Israeli control over the region.
