The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education issued a devastating report on Tuesday, revealing that more than 16,600 students have been killed and over 26,000 wounded since Israel launched its brutal assault on Gaza and the West Bank on October 7, 2023.

The Ministry's latest figures reflect the enormous toll the Israeli occupation has exacted on Palestinian children and the education sector. In Gaza alone, 16,470 students have been martyred, with 25,374 others wounded amid relentless airstrikes and ground invasions. In the West Bank, 137 students have been killed, 897 wounded, and 754 arrested by Israeli forces during raids on towns, refugee camps, and educational institutions.

Teachers and school staff have also been heavily targeted. The Ministry confirmed the deaths of 914 teachers and administrative staff, along with injuries to 4,363 others. In the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces have detained at least 196 educators, disrupting the functioning of schools and universities.

Educational infrastructure has suffered catastrophic destruction. At least 352 public schools have been damaged, 111 of them completely destroyed. The Israeli military has also bombed or vandalized 91 public schools and 89 schools operated by UNRWA, leaving children without safe spaces to learn or shelter.

Higher education institutions have not been spared. The Ministry reported that 20 universities have suffered extensive damage, and 60 university buildings have been reduced to rubble. In the West Bank, Israeli forces have stormed and vandalized 152 schools and 8 universities, destroying fences and damaging facilities in Jenin, Tulkarm, and the towns of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik near Salfit.

Currently, 788,000 students in Gaza are completely deprived of access to education due to the destruction of schools and ongoing military aggression. For the second consecutive year, high school students in Gaza will be unable to take their final exams, placing their academic futures and mental well-being in jeopardy. Meanwhile, preparations are ongoing for exams in the West Bank, scheduled to begin on June 21.

The Ministry also condemned the Israeli regime’s continued closure of six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem and its suburbs since May 8, 2025. These closures, carried out without justification, have further violated the right to education for hundreds of Palestinian children in the occupied city.

This systematic targeting of students, educators, and academic institutions constitutes a direct assault on Palestinian identity, future, and resilience. Palestinian officials and human rights organizations have called on the international community to urgently intervene, hold Israel accountable for its war crimes, and protect the right to education enshrined in international law. ILKHA)