**Israel's Economic Stranglehold: The Silent Scream of Palestine's Education** In the once-thriving city of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, a stark reality has set in for the Zenabia Elementary School. For years, the institution has been a beacon of hope for young minds, but a crippling economic crisis now threatens to silence its classrooms forever. The blame lies with Israel's policy of withholding customs revenues from the Palestinian Authority (PA). This move, driven by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has left the PA with a crippling budget deficit. The consequences are far-reaching, with public services suffering severe cuts, including the education sector. At the Zenabia Elementary School, the effects are devastating. Principal Aisha al-Khatib struggles to keep her school afloat, with classes reduced to a mere three days a week. Teachers, who are already underpaid, receive only 60 percent of their previous salaries. The result is a haphazard education system, where students are lucky to receive a basic education. In a desperate bid to keep up with their peers, star student Zaid Hasseneh, 10, spends most of his days out of school, using Google Translate to improve his English skills. His aspirations of becoming a doctor one day are now uncertain, as the chances of educational gaps becoming lasting scars for a generation of Palestinian students seem increasingly likely. The implications are dire. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and occupation. By targeting the education of Palestine's children, Israel is effectively destroying the nation's future. As Principal al-Khatib aptly puts it, "targeting the education of Palestine's children means destroying the nation." As the world watches, the PA's pleas for international support to ease the economic burden have fallen on deaf ears. The international community must act to prevent the catastrophic collapse of Palestine's education system. The future of a generation of Palestinian students hangs in the balance, and the world cannot afford to turn a blind eye. In the words of Principal al-Khatib, "We are always absent from school." The question is, for how long will this silence last?