Bulldozers threaten Gaza 'school of hope'

[Scurrilous]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1224056,00.html

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"Each day, Darwish Abu Sharakh climbs to the top floor of Rafah's only school for the deaf, unfurls the Palestinian flag on the balcony and waves at the shadowy outline of an Israeli soldier in a gun tower across the wasteland that was once a sea of roofs.
It is a dangerous act of defiance, but one that has taken on added symbolism as the headteacher faces up to the prospect that the El-Amal school's days may be numbered."

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"Until last week, the El-Amal school for the deaf had 131 students between four and 16 years old - the only facility of its kind in southern Gaza.

But even before the tanks and bulldozers rolled into Rafah a week ago, Mr Abu Sharakh sensed trouble, brought forward the end-of-year exams and then sent the pupils home. Now his main concern is whether they will have a school to come back to.

"There used to be ten houses between us and the border. Now we are the last house, the front line. With what is happening now, this place is in great danger. They are determined to destroy all the buildings along here and we are in the way," he said."