Palestinian ministry reports more than 20,000 education-sector deaths since 2023

The Palestinian Education Ministry says more than 20,000 students and education workers have been killed in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023.

More than 20,000 Palestinian students and education workers have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to figures released by the Palestinian Education Ministry.

The ministry said the reported fatalities occurred in both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. Its figures cover school students, university students and employees working in the education sector.

Reported deaths in Gaza

In Gaza, the ministry reported that more than 19,000 school students and 1,300 university students had been killed. It also said more than 800 school staff and 240 university employees had lost their lives.

The figures describe a heavy toll on pupils, university students and education workers during the conflict. The ministry did not specify when the figures were compiled.

Figures from the occupied West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, the ministry reported the deaths of 134 school students and 39 university students. It also said that seven school employees had been killed.

The reported figures cover the period since October 7, 2023. The source of the figures is the Palestinian Education Ministry, and they have not been independently verified in the information available for this report.

Damage to schools

The ministry also reported extensive destruction of education facilities in Gaza. More than 179 government schools were said to have been completely destroyed, while 105 schools operated by UNRWA were reported damaged.

The reported damage extends beyond individual school buildings, affecting education infrastructure in an area where the wider civilian environment has also suffered extensive destruction.

Gaza authorities separately reported that nearly 74,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 174,000 injured. They also estimated that around 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure had been destroyed.

Those casualty, injury and infrastructure figures are claims attributed to Gaza authorities. The available information does not provide an independent assessment of the figures or a precise date for their compilation.