On Palestinian Children’s Day, the Ministry of Education in Gaza has released a heartbreaking statement confirming that more than 17,000 children have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. The majority were school pupils, whose only crime was their determination to learn amidst relentless war.

The ministry described the figure not as a statistic, but as a profound loss of individual lives—each child with dreams, families, and a future that was stolen. Despite the horror, the statement emphasised that Palestinian children continue to face unimaginable conditions, especially in Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank’s most vulnerable areas.

Israel’s ongoing assault has not only targeted civilians but also systematically dismantled the Palestinian education system. Schools have been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, depriving children of the basic right to learn. The ministry denounced these actions as deliberate attempts to erase the future of an entire generation.

In defiance of these efforts, the Ministry of Education continues to push forward—establishing virtual classrooms and alternative forms of learning to preserve the hope of education in Gaza. It reaffirmed its commitment to every child’s right to learn, urging international human rights groups to act decisively and hold Israel accountable for what it called a war on children.

As international silence deepens, the Palestinian people continue to witness the decimation of their future. With over 165,000 Palestinians killed or wounded—most of them women and children—calls for justice grow louder with each passing day.