Palestinian Ministry Reports Over 20,000 Education Workers and Students Killed

More than 20,000 Palestinian students and education workers have been killed since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Education Ministry, which also reported severe damage to schools in...

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

The ministry said the reported deaths occurred in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank during the period beginning October 7, 2023. The figures include school and university students, as well as employees working in education.

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 that more than 800 school staff and 240 university employees had died.

The figures were presented as part of the ministry’s wider account of the impact of the conflict on education. The available information does not specify the precise date through which 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 ministry’s figures are reported claims and are not independently verified in the information available.

Damage to schools

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

The reported destruction adds to the disruption facing schools, universities and the wider education system in the territory.

Separately, Gaza authorities 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 figures, like the education-related casualty and damage estimates, are attributed to the reporting authorities and may include approximations. The information supplied does not include an independent assessment of the totals.