The number of Palestinian civilian casualties continue to rise, especially among students, students, and teachers, as the Israeli war of extermination continues in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education confirmed that the Israeli bombing, supported by the United States, resulted in large numbers of deaths and injuries among school and university students, in addition to the destruction of dozens of educational buildings, which threatens an entire generation of being deprived of their right to education, which continues a flagrant violation of international conventions on human rights and the protection of civilians.
Since the start of the war of extermination on October 7, 2023, the number of victims among Palestinian students has increased, as the Palestinian Ministry of Education in Ramallah reported that more than 11,249 students in schools in the Gaza Strip were killed, and 17,335 others were injured, while 80 students were killed, 479 were injured, and 237 school students were arrested in the West Bank.
As for universities; 697 students were killed and 1,523 others were injured in Gaza, while 35 were killed, 130 were injured and 229 university students were arrested in the West Bank. These attacks prevented about 88,000 university students and 700,000 school students in Gaza from attending their educational institutions.
The Israeli attacks also affected educational staff, as 444 teachers were killed in Gaza and 2,491 others were injured, while in the West Bank 3 were killed, 17 were injured and 144 school teaching staff were arrested, while 9 university staff were arrested.
Moreover, 77 schools in Gaza were completely destroyed, 171 schools were severely damaged, while 126 government schools and 65 UNRWA schools were damaged. In the West Bank, 91 schools and 7 universities were raided and vandalized by Israeli forces and settlers.
The data indicates widespread destruction amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the death toll and injuries in the Strip and the West Bank exceeding 146,000, including thousands of children and women, in addition to tens of thousands of missing and displaced persons.
These tragic figures confirm Israel’s direct and deliberate targeting of educational institutions and civilians, depriving large groups of children and youth of their right to education and threatening their future.
The international community is called upon to take urgent action to stop these violations, which amount to war crimes under international law, to ensure the protection of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, to work to rebuild the schools and universities that were destroyed, and to create a safe educational environment for all students.
