LONDON: The Palestinian Ministry of Education reported on Tuesday that 20,647 students in the Gaza Strip have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave in October 2023.
According to the education ministry, 128 school students and 39 university students have also been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank during the same period, Palestine News Agency reported.
The ministry stated that Israeli attacks have destroyed 63 university buildings and 179 government schools across Gaza, while a further 105 schools operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) have sustained severe damage.
The conflict has also claimed the lives of 1,054 teachers and education staff in Gaza. Of the students killed, 19,101 were school pupils, with the remainder attending universities.
According to UNICEF, more than 660,000 school-age children in Gaza have been without formal education for over two years, with 97 per cent of educational facilities reportedly damaged or targeted during the conflict.
Although some students have recently returned to makeshift classrooms in tent schools, teaching remains limited to a reduced curriculum covering Arabic, English, mathematics and science.
Israel is currently facing allegations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders linked to the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, all of whom were later confirmed dead.
