RAMALLAH, Monday, October 30, 2023 (WAFA) - The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said today that 427 students and 12 members of the school’s staff in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have been killed since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, pointing out that 85% of the fatalities were recorded in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the ministry explained that the actual number of fatalities is likely to be higher as a result of the occupation’s round-the-clock bombardment and massacres and the presence of large numbers of victims who are still trapped under the rubble in the Gaza Strip.

The ministry indicated that 11 higher education buildings were completely or partially damaged, including nine in the Gaza Strip and two in the West Bank.

It pointed out that the entire educational process was disrupted in 19 higher education institutions in the Gaza Strip, which deprived 88,000 students of receiving their education since the start of the aggression.

In addition, there has been a disruption of face-to-face learning in all 34 higher education institutions in the West Bank, which serve more than 138,800 students, as a result of the difficulty and danger of commuting due to the occupation’s checkpoints and continuous attacks.

The ministry explained that there are hundreds of students and university staff detained in the West Bank, in addition to thousands of wounded in the Gaza Strip, whose numbers cannot yet be determined due to the critical field conditions.

It noted that the information and numbers included in the present statement are constantly changing and rising due to the continued aggression against the Strip and the attacks in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

A.D./T.R.