Casualty toll in the education sector
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in the Gaza Strip reported that 14 school students and 8 education sector workers were killed, and others injured, due to Israeli attacks on the Strip during the past month of October. This came in a report issued by the Ministry and published by the Government Media Office on Monday, regarding Israeli violations against the education sector.
The report clarified that the Ministry recorded the killing of 14 school students during the month due to continuous shelling, gunfire, and direct targeting, with the ages of the deceased students ranging between 6 and 16 years. Regarding the staff, 4 teachers in general education were killed, and 3 employees at the Islamic University were killed following the shelling of its courtyard, in addition to an academic who was killed due to the targeting of a residential apartment.
Disruption of studies and siege
The report documented the injury of a number of children, school students, and university students, in addition to sector workers, due to attacks targeting schools and alternative educational tents. Israeli gunfire directed at neighborhoods and educational facilities caused the disruption or delay of studies in schools in southern Khan Younis, eastern Deir al-Balah, and Al-Bureij camp, as well as areas in the northern part of the Strip.
The report pointed out that the continued closure of crossings and the siege prevented students with external scholarships from traveling, thereby losing opportunities to continue their studies. The siege also prevented the import of basic needs for schools, including construction materials for tents and school furniture, educational devices for people with disabilities, as well as stationery and printing supplies.
Consequences of fuel shortage
It clarified that the prevention of fuel and engine oil supplies and the scarcity of available stock hindered the access of thousands of students to their schools and universities, and disrupted the operation of electricity generators relied upon by educational institutions. The repercussions extended to the disruption of lighting in classrooms, scientific laboratories, and water desalination stations within schools and universities, which exacerbated the difficulty of continuing the educational process.
The report noted the continued targeting of educational institutions, pointing out that an airstrike targeted the Safatawi area, causing the complete destruction of the "Al-Basma Al-Sagheera" kindergarten, while the adjacent private "Al-Zahraa" school was destroyed. The report affirmed that the destruction of educational institutions constitutes an extension of systematic assaults that deprive children of their right to education.
International demands and statistics
The report called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights institutions to intervene immediately to protect students and teachers, and to pressure Israel to stop the targeting and ensure the entry of supplies to address the collapse of the educational system. According to data from the Government Media Office, 95 percent of the Strip's schools have suffered damage as a result of shelling.
Israelis killed more than 20,051 school-age students and more than 532 teachers since October 2023 until July of last year. Despite reaching a ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025, Israel continued its aggression, resulting in the killing of 1,593 Palestinians and the injury of 5,748 others.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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