The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Gaza announced that 12,799 students have been killed and 20,942 injured since the start of the Israeli aggression on 7 October 2023, which has targeted Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry reported that 12,681 students in Gaza alone were killed, with 20,311 others injured. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, 118 students have been killed, 631 injured, and 538 detained. The ministry also revealed that 598 teachers and administrative staff were killed, 3,801 injured, and over 158 detained in the West Bank during the same period.

The statement highlighted the extensive destruction of educational infrastructure caused by Israeli forces. In Gaza, 425 government schools, universities, and associated buildings, along with 65 facilities affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), were bombed or vandalised. Of these, 171 sustained severe damage, while 77 were completely destroyed. In the West Bank, 109 schools and 7 universities were raided and vandalised.

The ministry emphasised that 788,000 students in Gaza remain unable to attend schools or universities since the onset of the aggression. It further noted that the majority of students are enduring psychological trauma and facing deteriorating health conditions.