Today's Edition
GAZA (WAM)
Official Palestinian entities have highlighted the worsening humanitarian and educational conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as a result of continued Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Palestinian Civil Defence (PCD) in Gaza announced that it has received hundreds of distress calls from displaced individuals whose tents and shelters were flooded by rain, leaving them pleading for help to save their children.
The PCD confirmed that its teams can only evacuate the affected to other locations, which are often unfit for shelter, forcing many to remain exposed to harsh weather conditions, including rain and cold.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education reported the martyrdom of 12,943 students and the injury of 21,681 others since the start of the Israeli aggression. The ministry indicated that over 12,790 students were martyred and 21,026 injured in Gaza, while the West Bank witnessed 120 student fatalities and 655 injuries, along with the detention of 548 students.
The ministry further noted damage to 425 government schools and universities in Gaza, while 109 schools and seven universities in the West Bank were subjected to incursions and vandalism.
It also confirmed that 788,000 students in Gaza remain unable to attend schools and universities since the onset of the aggression, with most students suffering from psychological trauma and facing severe health challenges.
A report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on the conditions of Palestinians at the end of 2024 revealed a 6% decline in the population of the Gaza Strip by the year's end. The report estimated the total Palestinian population at 5.5 million, including 3.4 million in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Gaza’s population decreased by approximately 160,000, bringing the estimated population to 2.1 million.
