The Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education disclosed alarming figures on Tuesday, revealing that 11,406 students have been killed and another 18,556 injured since the onset of the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the West Bank on October 7.
According to the ministry’s statement, the casualties in Gaza alone have exceeded 11,292 deaths and 17,965 injuries among students, while in the West Bank, 114 students have been killed, 591 injured, and 439 detained.
The statement further noted that the conflict has also taken a heavy toll on educational staff, with 550 teachers and administrators killed and 3,717 wounded across both territories.
More than 145 educational staff have been detained in the West Bank.
In terms of infrastructure damage, 362 governmental schools and universities, along with 65 facilities operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), have been subjected to bombings and vandalism in Gaza.
This has resulted in severe damage to 124 buildings and the complete destruction of 62.
Additionally, 84 schools and seven universities in the West Bank have been raided and vandalized. Furthermore, 133 government schools in Gaza have been repurposed as shelters.
The education ministry emphasized that 718,000 students in Gaza are still unable to attend their schools and universities due to the ongoing conflict, with many suffering from psychological trauma and facing dire health conditions.
The ministry also highlighted the distress caused by repeated Israeli incursions into the Jenin and Tulkarm governorates, particularly affecting students in their schools.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate as Israeli military strikes escalate, raising alarms from United Nations officials about the growing danger to civilians.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a school in central Gaza, where women and children had gathered for malnutrition treatment, leading to multiple casualties.
Adele Khodr, UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, expressed deep concern over the rising civilian toll, especially among vulnerable groups like children and mothers.
