The Palestinian Ministry of Education stated that since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank on October 7th, 5881 students have been martyred and 9899 have been injured.
In a statement released today, Tuesday, it clarified that the number of students martyred in Gaza since the start of the aggression has reached more than 5826, with 9570 injured, while in the West Bank, 55 students have been martyred and 329 others injured, in addition to 103 arrests. It pointed out that 264 teachers and administrators were martyred and 960 injured in Gaza, with six injured and more than 73 arrested in the West Bank. It noted that 286 government schools and 65 UNRWA schools were subjected to shelling and sabotage in Gaza, resulting in 111 of them suffering severe damage and 40 being completely destroyed.
Additionally, 57 schools in the West Bank were invaded and sabotaged, and 133 government schools were used as shelters in Gaza. The Ministry of Education affirmed that 620,000 students in Gaza are still deprived of attending their schools since the start of the aggression, with most students suffering psychological trauma and facing difficult health conditions.
The Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when Hamas, which controls the sector, initiated “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, launching thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel and its forces infiltrated Israeli towns near the Strip, killing about 1,200 Israelis, mostly settlers, and capturing about 250 others.
In response, Israel officially declared war on the Gaza Strip, starting with destructive bombings followed by ground operations within the sector.
The Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip has so far resulted in about 32,000 deaths and more than 74,000 injuries, mostly among children and women, according to those who reached hospitals, while more than 7,000 are still missing under the rubble due to the ongoing bombardment throughout the sector.
The recent actions of the Israeli military in Gaza have raised serious concerns regarding potential violations of international humanitarian law. Amnesty International has documented instances where Israeli attacks resulted in significant civilian casualties, including the destruction of entire families without warning, raising allegations of war crimes . The United Nations has also highlighted Israel’s efforts to permanently change the population composition of Gaza through widespread and systematic attacks on civilians and infrastructure, particularly in the south of the enclave .
Human Rights Watch has reported devastating effects on people with disabilities due to the Israeli bombardment and blockade, noting the lack of warning and the inability of those with disabilities to evacuate safely. Amnesty International further found that U.S.-made munitions were used in deadly Israeli air strikes on civilian homes, underlining the severity of the attacks on the civilian population.
