At least 14 school students and eight education workers were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in October, according to figures released by the Palestinian Education Ministry on Tuesday.
The ministry said the students killed were between six and 16 years old. Among the education workers were four teachers, three employees of the Islamic University who died in an attack on its grounds, and a female academic killed in a strike on a residential apartment.
In a statement published late Monday, the ministry also reported injuries among children, school and university students, and education workers in attacks targeting educational facilities and makeshift classrooms.
Attacks and shortages disrupt classes
Israeli gunfire directed at residential neighbourhoods and educational facilities forced classes to be suspended or delayed at several schools, the ministry said.
The disruptions affected areas in southern Khan Younis, eastern Deir al Balah, the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza and parts of the enclave’s north.
The ministry also warned that the continued closure of border crossings and the Israeli blockade had prevented Palestinian students holding scholarships abroad from travelling, leaving some unable to continue their studies.
Restrictions have also blocked the entry of essential educational supplies, including construction materials to repair damaged schools, tents for temporary classrooms, school furniture and equipment for vocational training and students with disabilities.
Fuel shortages have further limited students' ability to reach schools and universities and disrupted electricity generators used by educational institutions, the ministry said.
It called on the international community, UN agencies and humanitarian and human rights organisations to help protect students and teachers, stop attacks on educational facilities and secure the delivery of essential supplies.
Education system faces mounting damage
According to Gaza's Government Media Office, 95 percent of schools in the enclave have sustained damage from Israeli attacks since October 2023.
Education Ministry figures released in July showed that more than 20,051 school-age students and over 532 teachers had been killed between October 2023 and July 2026.
Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 1,593 Palestinians and wounded 5,748 others in Gaza, according to the figures provided.
The ceasefire followed two years of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, injured over 175,000 and destroyed around 90 percent of the enclave's civilian infrastructure, according to the figures cited by Palestinian authorities.
