More than 20,000 Palestinian students have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank over the past three years, according to figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
A statistical report issued by the ministry on Wednesday (7 October) said a total of 20,748 students had been killed during the period. The toll includes pupils from schools as well as students enrolled at universities. The report also recorded the deaths of 1,058 education-sector officials and employees.
The figures underline the severe impact of the conflict on Palestinian education. Thousands of students and education workers have also been injured or detained, while numerous educational institutions have come under attack or been destroyed.
Heavy toll in Gaza
The Gaza Strip has accounted for the overwhelming majority of student deaths. According to the ministry, 19,189 school students and 1,386 university students have been killed there, bringing the combined number of student deaths in Gaza to 20,575.
The number of injured students is also substantial. A total of 28,586 school students and 3,082 university students have been wounded in the territory.
Education workers have suffered heavy losses as well. The ministry reported that 805 school employees and 246 university employees were killed in Gaza. A further 3,298 school workers and 1,493 university workers were injured.
The scale of the casualties has disrupted education for large numbers of children and young people. Damage to educational facilities, alongside the deaths and injuries of students and teachers, has made it increasingly difficult for many Palestinians to continue their studies.
West Bank also affected
The occupied West Bank has recorded a significant toll among students and education workers, although the figures are considerably lower than those reported in Gaza.
The education ministry said 134 school students and 39 university students were killed in the West Bank. Another 871 school students and 283 university students were injured.
Detentions have also affected students and education personnel. Israeli forces detained 416 school students and 481 university students, according to the report. Seven school workers were killed and 26 were injured, while more than 176 teachers and 21 university employees were detained.
The figures reflect the wider disruption experienced by the Palestinian education system since the conflict intensified in October 2023. For students, the consequences extend beyond physical injuries and loss of life, with the destruction of educational facilities and prolonged disruption to schooling creating further obstacles to continuing education.
Wider humanitarian toll
The education ministry’s figures form part of a much broader picture of destruction across the Palestinian territories.
According to the report, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023. Around 90 per cent of the territory’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the figures cited by the ministry.
The occupied West Bank has also experienced continuing violence. Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,210 Palestinians there, injured more than 13,350 and detained more than 24,600 people during the same period, the report said.
The education-sector figures highlight how deeply the conflict has affected schools, universities and the people who depend on them. With tens of thousands of students killed or injured and education facilities damaged across Gaza and the West Bank, the consequences for Palestinian education are likely to extend well beyond the immediate period of violence.
