Thursday, October 8, 2026 - More than 20,700 Palestinian students in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been killed since October 2023, according to figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Education on October 7.
The ministry reported that 19,189 school students and 1,386 university students were killed in Gaza, while 134 school students and 39 university students were killed in the West Bank. Thousands more have been injured or detained.
The damage extends far beyond the loss of students. The ministry says more than 179 government schools in Gaza have been completely destroyed, while more than 105 UNRWA schools and over 63 university buildings have also been destroyed.
UNICEF has separately reported that nearly 98% of Gaza's school buildings have sustained damage, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without consistent access to formal education.
The education crisis is becoming one of the conflict's most consequential long-term challenges. With classrooms destroyed, teachers killed or injured and children facing prolonged disruption, rebuilding Gaza's education system will require enormous resources and sustained international support.
The Palestinian ministry says it has established hundreds of alternative learning centres and virtual schools, but the scale of the destruction means restoring normal education remains an urgent task.
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