More than 16,600 students have been killed and over 26,000 injured in Gaza and the West Bank since Israel’s war on the Palestinian territories began on October 7, 2023, according to a grim new report from the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
In a statement published Tuesday, the ministry revealed that 16,470 of the student fatalities occurred in Gaza, where 25,374 others were wounded. In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 137 students and injured 897 more, in addition to detaining 754 students since the start of the assault.
The statement also confirmed that 914 teachers and education staff have been killed, and 4,363 others wounded across both regions. In the West Bank alone, at least 196 educators have been arrested.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment has devastated the education sector in Gaza. According to the ministry, 352 public schools have suffered severe damage, including 111 that were completely destroyed. Another 91 government-run schools and 89 UNRWA-run schools were damaged by direct shelling and sabotage.
Higher education institutions have not been spared either. Twenty universities and colleges in Gaza sustained heavy damage, and 60 university buildings were completely demolished.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli forces have stormed and vandalized 152 schools and eight universities, destroying school fences in Jenin, Tulkarm, and the towns of Bruqin and Kafr al-Dik west of Salfit.
The Ministry of Education warned that nearly 788,000 students in Gaza remain completely deprived of their right to education, unable to attend school or university since the beginning of the war. This includes high school seniors who, for the second year in a row, are unable to take their final exams due to the ongoing violence.
In contrast, students in the West Bank are scheduled to begin their high school examinations on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
The statement concluded by noting that Israeli authorities continue to shut down six UNRWA-run schools in Jerusalem and its suburbs, closures that have remained in effect since May 8.
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