The Ministry of Education and Higher Education confirmed that the Palestinian education system is being subjected to an ongoing, unprecedented, and systematic annihilation, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of school and university students have been martyred, and hundreds of educational facilities have been destroyed. This constitutes a major crime against humanity and a clear violation of the right to education.
In a statement issued to mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, which falls today, the ministry stated that the West Bank, including Jerusalem, is witnessing a comprehensive targeting of the education system amid an escalation in violations against staff, students, and educational and academic institutions. This is particularly true in Jerusalem, the northern West Bank districts, the Jordan Valley, Yatta, and the Old City of Hebron, through acts of destruction, raids, and restrictions on schools, their students, and staff.
She called on the international community, United Nations institutions, human rights organizations, and education advocates to assume their responsibilities and take urgent action to halt this genocide against Palestinian education. She also called on the international community, students, teachers, and educational and academic personnel to ensure the protection of schools, students, teachers, and academic staff in accordance with international laws and conventions. Education is a right, and targeting it is a crime.
The Ministry also stressed that this day is an opportunity to shed light on the violations that have affected education in the Gaza Strip, to the point that they amount to “educational genocide.
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