Israel has killed over 8,500 Palestinian students in Gaza, West Bank since October 7: report

The Israeli military offensive in Gaza has stripped away the fundamental right to education from Palestinian students, with over 8,500 students killed since October 7.

Palestinian news agency Wafa cited information from Gaza’s Education Ministry stating that 8,572 Palestinian students have been killed in Gaza and 100 in the occupied West Bank.

According to reports, Israeli onslaught claimed the lives of at least 497 teachers and administrators and left 3,402 injured in Gaza and the West Bank.

The aerial and ground invasion in Gaza has destroyed over 350 government schools, and universities. The occupation army also targeted and vandalised 65 UNRWA-run school buildings.

According to the ministry, many students are experiencing severe psychological trauma after witnessing the gruesome scenes of bloodshed, including the deaths of their family members.

Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, around 800,000 students have been forced to abandon their education and about 620,000 students in Gaza cannot enroll in schools.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bombed all 12 universities in Gaza and turned the enclave into ruins.

Earlier, the government media office in Gaza reported that 40,000 high school students have been deprived of participating in exams, calling it “an unprecedented violation that threatens their future and undermines their chances of enrolling in local and international universities and colleges.” 

The office also noted that “85% of educational facilities are out of service due to direct and deliberate targetting, posing a significant challenge to resuming the educational process after the war ends.”

The Palestinian administration in Gaza is attempting to mitigate the academic loss by arranging alternative means to help students continue learning and retain necessary concepts and skills.