Student death toll from Israeli attacks surpasses 3,700

RAMALLAH, Palestine

At least 3,714 Palestinian students have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since Oct. 7, the Ministry of Education said Thursday.

The ministry said 3,679 students were killed and 5,429 others injured in the Gaza Strip, while 35 students lost their lives and 271 others wounded in the West Bank.

Israeli forces also detained 82 Palestinian students in the West Bank since Oct. 7, the ministry added in a statement.

According to the ministry, 209 teachers and administrators were killed and 619 others injured in the Gaza Strip, while two more were wounded and 65 arrested in the West Bank.

Israeli forces also bombed 278 government schools and 65 UN-run schools in the Gaza Strip, the ministry said.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 18,787 Palestinians have been killed and 50,897 injured in the Israeli onslaught since then, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

Nearly 1,200 people are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while around 139 hostages remain in captivity.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio