Palestinian ministry: 20,000 students killed in Gaza over three years of Israeli attacks

The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education on Wednesday released its statistical report on violations committed by Israeli forces against the education sector in Palestine over three years of conflict, spanning from October 7, 2023, to October 7, 2026.

Under the slogan “Three years after the genocide... education is a will that will not be broken,” the ministry stated that more than 19,189 school students and 1,386 university students were killed in Gaza, while 28,586 school students and 3,082 university students were injured to varying degrees.

In the West Bank, 134 school students and 39 university students were killed, while 871 school students and 283 university students were injured. Additionally, 416 school students and 481 university students were arrested.

Regarding educational and administrative staff, the ministry reported that 805 school staff members and 246 university lecturers and employees were killed in Gaza. Another 3,298 school staff and 1,493 university staff were injured. In the West Bank, seven school staff members were killed and 26 injured, while Israeli forces arrested more than 176 school teachers and employees, and 21 university staff members.

On the targeting of educational institutions, the ministry said Israeli forces completely destroyed more than 179 government schools in Gaza, bombed and destroyed over 105 schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and totally demolished more than 63 university buildings.

The ministry also noted that Israeli authorities withheld permits for teachers working in private schools in occupied Jerusalem, hindering their access to workplaces, and continued to raid Palestinian universities, most recently Birzeit University.