The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue to target all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip as part of the ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip for the 390th consecutive day.
In this context, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced on Tuesday that the IOF killed 11.825 school and university students in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since October 7. 18.829 students were also injured.
According to the figures, more than 11,825 students have been killed in the Gaza Strip. As for the injured, their number reached 16,897 in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, 681 university students were killed in Gaza, while 1,468 were injured.
In the West Bank, 79 school students were killed, 464 injured, and 232 arrested, while 35 university students were killed, 130 injured, and 218 arrested.
The data also showed that 441 teachers were killed, and 2491 others were injured in the Gaza Strip. As for the West Bank, 17 were injured, and 139 were arrested from schools. 117 academics were also killed in Gaza.
Meanwhile, 406 schools, universities, and university buildings, and 65 UNRWA-run buildings were bombed and vandalized in the Gaza Strip.
According to the same data, 20 higher education institutions in Gaza also suffered significant damage, and over 51 university buildings were totally destroyed and 57 university buildings were partially destroyed.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that 700,000 Gaza’s students are still deprived of attending their schools and 88,00 from their universities since the beginning of the aggression, while most students suffer from psychological trauma and face difficult health conditions.
With the outbreak of the devastating Israeli war on Gaza, studies were suspended in the Gaza Strip.
In violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which ensures children’s protection during times of conflict, the Israeli government has killed and injured thousands of Palestinian students. The systematic destruction of schools and educational institutions also constitutes a violation of the right to education under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Human rights organizations and the international community must step in to stop these crimes, protect civilians, and ensure that they have the right to mental health and education. It is also imperative that the perpetrators be held accountable and brought to justice, as these actions violate international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes. The psychological and social effects of these actions on students are the destruction of mental health and well-being, reflecting the enormity of the tragedy endured by an entire generation.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving tens of thousands dead and wounded, most of them children and women, massive destruction of infrastructure, and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
