The 625,000 students who were enrolled in Gaza as of July 30, 2024, have all missed a whole academic year. For the first time in many years, 39,000 pupils did not attend the official high-school evaluation exams for the 12th grade, according to a situation report by Relief Web.

Most of them might never go back to school again, and none of them can transfer to higher education.

When schools aren't being destroyed, instead of being filled with eager students, they house displaced families who are frantic for protection.

Classrooms and hallways are piled with mattresses and blankets; tables are transformed into wardrobes and walls; and playgrounds are carpeted with tents and tarpaulins, which severely taxes the few available WASH facilities.

In addition, overcrowded conditions lead to an unclean atmosphere, the quick spread of illness, higher risks of injury from lack of privacy, and damage to equipment and furnishings.

The psychological and mental health of children, educators, and caregivers have all suffered greatly as a result of these circumstances, which have also seriously harmed kids' ability to exercise their right to an education.

93% of Gaza schools experience damage

As of July 30, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) - State of Palestine said that since October 7, more than 14,237 students and 2,246 instructors had been injured in the Gaza Strip, while 9,211 pupils and 397 members of the educational staff had died at the hands of Israeli forces.

The infrastructure supporting Gaza's educational system has also been severely impacted; 92.9% of the schools experienced direct, indirect, and likely damage to their buildings.

Before classes resume, at least 84.6% of schools need to be completely rebuilt or undergo extensive repair. UN-run schools under UNRWA's jurisdiction make up one-third of the severely damaged or directly targeted schools.

As of last week, the Ministry of Education reported that 103 students had been killed and 505 more had been wounded in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, according to the ministry, 357 students were detained in the West Bank.

3,426 injuries and 497 deaths in the West Bank and Gaza involved teachers and administrators.

UNRWA educational facilities bombed

About 353 government schools, universities, university buildings, and 65 belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) were bombed and vandalized in the Gaza Strip, which led to 139 of them being severely damaged, and 93 completely destroyed.

Moreover, as it is not just schools, but Al-Aqsa University, established in 1955 as Gaza's oldest government higher education institution, saw its campuses in Gaza City and Khan Younis severely damaged and destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF).

As one of Gaza's largest universities, Al-Aqsa University has been offering bachelor's and postgraduate programs spanning applied sciences, arts, media, sports, finance, and IT.

In January, social media videos depicted the partial collapse of the entrance to the Khan Younis campus. The following month, reports surfaced of shelling at two buildings on the Gaza City campus, with Israeli forces reportedly firing at civilians seeking refuge there.