Several injured after Israeli army raid forces closure of Al-Quds university

Al-Quds, the Palestinian university in Jerusalem, suspended classes at its Adu Dis campus outside of the city on Monday following a raid by Israeli forces, students told Middle East Eye.

Israeli soldiers blocked off access to the area around the university's main campus in Abu Dis, causing Al-Quds' administration to issue a statement saying classes were suspended "for the safety of the students and staff", due to public transport to the site being disrupted.

Israeli soldiers raided an area by the university early on Monday in order to seal holes in the nearby separation wall that residents of Abu Dis had drilled and to set up surveillance cameras in the area.

Translation: Ongoing confrontations after the occupation shut down the gates of Al-Quds University in Abu Dis

Confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers erupted following the raid.

According to local media, one Palestinian was shot and injured by a live bullet, while five more were wounded by rubber bullets and dozens more suffered from tear gas inhalation during the clashes. Palestinians threw stones and empty glass bottles at the soldiers.

Abu Dis is an East Jerusalem suburb that lies 3.8km from the eastern wall of the Old City.

An Israeli separation wall, which passes near the university, cuts Al-Quds' campus from the Old City. Despite Abu Dis and Jerusalem's proximity, students and residents have to make an 18km journey that takes at least 40 minutes.

A student at Al-Quds told MEE that the closure could extend until next Wednesday. 

According to the student, who wished to remain anonymous, the soldiers are still stationed near the campus, and forced the university's security guards to evacuate students and staff from its emergency exit and declare the area closed.

"They came with bulldozers, and fired tear gas, stun grenades, and bullets," the student added. 

"Students are upset about this. It is not the first time the Israeli soldiers are trying to prevent us from education."

Calls from MEE to the office of the university's president for comment were not answered.

The confrontation occurred in what is known among students as the "Love Area", a small road within the campus where male and female students meet.

The Israeli forces also shut down Abu Dis secondary school and the Al-Araby Insitute college, and prevented Abu Dis council's employees from reaching their offices in the morning.