Gaza education ministry calls for urgent international action to protect schoolchildren after 3 killed

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education on Sunday called for urgent international action to protect schoolchildren in the Gaza Strip, warning of growing threats to their lives amid what it described as increasing targeting by Israeli forces.

The ministry issued the statement after three students were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.

It stressed the urgent need to protect children and ensure their right to reach schools and other educational facilities and continue their education safely.

The ministry said putting students’ lives at risk while travelling to and from school threatens their fundamental rights and requires immediate international intervention to stop attacks against them and ensure a safe learning environment.

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It called on the United Nations, the UN children’s agency UNICEF, and international and human rights organisations to take urgent, practical steps to protect students, document violations and hold those responsible to account, ensuring they do not escape accountability.

The ministry stressed that protecting children in Gaza is an international legal and humanitarian responsibility, adding that the continued killing of students requires effective international action that goes beyond statements of solidarity and translates international commitments into concrete measures to safeguard their rights to life, safety and education.

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