The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education has reported that the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which began on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of 20,080 students and injuries to 31,147.

According to an official statement released on Tuesday, Gaza has borne the brunt of the attacks, with more than 19,932 students killed and 30,102 injured. In the West Bank, 148 students have been killed, 1,045 injured, and 846 arbitrarily arrested by the Israeli occupation forces.

The Ministry also reported devastating losses among educators, with 1,037 teachers and school administrators killed and 4,757 injured across Gaza and the West Bank. In addition, more than 228 teachers and administrators have been detained in the West Bank.

The destruction of educational infrastructure has been massive. In Gaza, 179 government schools and 63 university buildings were completely destroyed. Hundreds of other schools, including 118 government schools and over 100 UNRWA schools, were bombed, vandalized, or removed from the official educational registry, displacing thousands of students and teachers.

The West Bank has also witnessed targeted attacks on schools. The Amira Elementary School in Yatta, south of Hebron, and the Aqaba Elementary School in Tubas were destroyed by occupation forces. Additionally, eight universities and colleges have suffered repeated raids and vandalism, further undermining the right to education for Palestinian youth.

The Ministry condemned the ongoing attacks, describing them as part of Israel’s systematic effort to disrupt Palestinian education and suppress future generations. Officials called on the international community to urgently intervene and hold the occupying forces accountable for these war crimes. (ILKHA)