Over 12,000 Palestinian students killed in Israel's war on Gaza

At least 12,000 Palestinian students have been killed since Israel began its brutal and indiscriminate offensive on Gaza last year, with schools and universities demolished in the assault, while hundreds of thousands of children are without access to education.

The Palestinian education ministry said that at least 12,061 students have been killed and 19,467 wounded in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October 2023, while around 564 teachers and educational administrators have been killed and 3,700 wounded.

Around 70 percent of the 43,600 people killed in Gaza were women and children, laying bare the huge impact on the enclave's civilian population, particularly on younger generations.

Without access to education, students' cognitive, social and emotional development have been seriously affected, the body said, with parents reporting significant mental health and psychological impacts on their children, worsened by stress and isolation.

This is particularly stark due to the priority education had in Gaza before the war, with a remarkably high literacy rate of 98 percent.

Wafaa Abu Hajjaj, a journalist in Gaza, told The New Arab that children and parents are doing their best to cope with the harrowing situation, with displaced students attempting to continue their education via tents and makeshift shelters after losing their homes and schools in Israel's assault.

"We have now entered the second year without education in Gaza. Some students are trying to carry on with their education, but it is not easy. Some students are trying to do distance learning but without proper internet connection and resources it’s not always possible," she said.

"There is a high number of teachers and students that have been killed, some families have no access to electricity or have so many people killed in their family they can’t focus on education," she added.

In the West Bank, at least 91 schools and seven universities have also been stormed and vandalised by Israeli forces and settlers since October 2023.

There has been a huge uptick in violence from Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank against Palestinians over the past year, with 115 students killed and 609 wounded, according to the ministry.

At least 153 teachers have been detained in the West Bank, where there are frequent arrests of Palestinians and raids by Israeli forces.

According to UNICEF, even when schools are not closed, there is still a strong fear of violence and some level of restrictions on movement as well as mental health concerns which force children to skip school.