Gaza Herald_ The year 2025 has seen the killing of thousands of Palestinian students as a result of Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, signaling a dangerous and systematic targeting of the education sector.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, 7,488 students have been killed since the beginning of the year, while 10,557 others have been injured to varying degrees.
Gaza Bears the Heaviest Toll
The ministry reported that Gaza suffered the overwhelming majority of casualties, with more than 7,448 students killed and 10,130 injured. In the West Bank, 38 students were killed and 327 injured, and Israeli forces arrested at least 324 students.
Teachers and Educational Staff Targeted
Losses extended beyond students. A total of 415 teachers and administrative staff members were killed, and 912 others injured across Gaza and the West Bank. More than 48 educators were also arrested in the West Bank.
Universities and Vulnerable Schools Attacked
Israeli forces targeted several Palestinian universities in 2025, including Birzeit University, Al-Quds University, Hebron University, and Palestine Polytechnic University.
The ministry also reported attacks on so-called “challenge schools” serving marginalized communities, including schools in Shalal Al-Auja, Khallat Amira, Bedouin Al-Kaabneh, Khallat Al-Dab’, and Yanon.
Education Sector Devastated Since October 2023
Since the start of the assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the education sector has suffered unprecedented destruction. A total of 172 government schools were completely destroyed, along with 63 university buildings.
In addition, 118 government schools and more than 100 UNRWA schools were damaged or destroyed. Repeated bombardment also led to the complete removal of 25 schools, along with their students and teachers, from official education records.
Widespread Damage in the West Bank
In the West Bank, 152 schools were vandalized, while Israeli forces carried out repeated raids on eight universities and colleges, causing damage to facilities and disrupting the educational process.
Education as a Protected Civilian Right
Education is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of child protection and social development, even during armed conflict. International humanitarian law grants special protection to schools and universities and classifies students and teachers as civilians.
Long-Term Consequences for an Entire Generation
The systematic targeting of educational institutions has consequences far beyond immediate casualties. It undermines the right to education, fractures the social fabric, and threatens an entire generation with long-term deprivation, instability, and insecurity.
As the assault continues and destruction deepens, warnings are growing of a near-total collapse of the Palestinian education system, with humanitarian and legal consequences that will last for decades.
