GAZA, (PIC)
The Ministry of Education in the Gaza Strip stated that the Israeli genocide against Gaza led to the martyrdom and disappearance of more than 15,000 Palestinian children of school age, with 95% of school and educational buildings targeted. Moreover, children have been subjected to “traumatic experiences and unprecedented psychological pressures.”
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry indicated that preliminary statistics show that more than 800 workers in the education sector have been martyred or gone missing, and 50,000 students have been injured.
The ministry added that the enormous number of martyrs constitutes a form of genocide against the students and workers in more than 30 schools, reflecting the magnitude of the crimes committed against children and educational staff.
It clarified that the genocide perpetrated by the occupation over more than 15 months resulted in the deaths of 1,200 students enrolled in higher education institutions, as well as more than 150 scholars, academics, and workers in those institutions, with hundreds suffering injuries and various disabilities.
The ministry confirmed that 95% of school and educational buildings sustained direct damage, with 85% rendered completely or partially out of service due to destruction.
It noted that the occupation’s army destroyed more than 140 administrative and academic facilities, including their equipment, laboratories, clinics, and libraries. The ministry estimated the losses in the education sector at more than $3 billion, emphasizing that thousands of children have been exposed to traumatic experiences and unprecedented psychological pressures, leading to psychological symptoms and traumas requiring specialized interventions.
The ministry announced the completion of emergency response plans for the upcoming phase, which includes completing the 2023-2024 academic year and opening the 2024-2025 academic year.
It called on media outlets and human rights organizations to document the “Israeli crimes” against children and their deprivation of the right to education, and to pursue Tel Aviv before international bodies and courts.