On the International Day for the Protection of Education, Gaza pays the bill for war on schools

The International Day to Protect Education from Attack falls on Wednesday, September 9, as more than half a million students in the Gaza Strip prepare for a new academic year amidst the devastation of war and the destruction of schools by Israeli aggression.

Official statistics indicate that thousands of students and teachers of school age have been killed during nearly three years of continuous aggression, in addition to the destruction of schools.

In a report prepared by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education in May 2026, entitled “The Educational Situation Report in Gaza (2023-2026): Statistical Reality, Diagnosis of Collapses, and Field Response,” the Ministry stated that statistics from the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip confirmed that more than 20,051 students of school age were killed.

More than 19,886 students left the Gaza Strip during the war, according to the government data center.

In the same context, a number of employees of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, including teachers, were killed, along with several administrative and service staff working in the education sector. Ministry of Health data indicates that more than 769 employees of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education were killed, in addition to 532 teachers working in government schools, UNRWA schools, and private schools. Fifty-nine government schools, one private school, and four special education schools sustained minor damage, while 50 government schools and two private schools sustained moderate damage. Eight government schools, 11 private schools, and two special education schools sustained severe damage.

Furthermore, 12 government schools, 26 private schools, and six special education schools were partially destroyed, while 55 government schools, 30 private schools, and 11 special education schools were completely destroyed.

As for educational staff, the war resulted in 26,776 teachers being out of work, according to the General Directorate of Planning and Institutional Performance Development.

Additionally, 22,030 teachers were out of work, including 11,852 in government schools, 1,280 in private schools, and 8,898 in UNRWA schools.

According to statistics, the number of students in the Gaza Strip was following a clear, normal growth trajectory before the war, according to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The total number of students rose from 609,751 in the 2022-2023 academic year to 627,617 in 2023-2024. Based on this projection, the student population was expected to reach 647,868 in 2024-2025, then 658,979 in 2025-2026, and finally 665,769 in 2026-2027.

However, the Israeli aggression against Gaza disrupted this trajectory, introducing new variables that impacted the student population, including deaths, injuries, displacement, and arrests. Taking these changes into account, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education anticipates that the estimated number of students in Gaza will reach 625,832 in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The ministry confirms that this reveals that the cumulative loss resulting from the war amounted to 39,937 students, which means that the expected natural increase is no longer sufficient to restore the previous demographic trajectory of education.