Number of Pupils Whose Education Was Disrupted by Israeli Occupation in the West Bank Rises by 121% in a Year
According to a report published by Save the Children, the number of Palestinian pupils whose education has been disrupted by attacks by Israelis and movement restrictions imposed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem more than doubled during the first 50 days of the new school year compared with the same period last year.
According to data from the Education Cluster, co-led by Save the Children and UNICEF, 174 education-related incidents were recorded between 1 September and 20 October 2026. These incidents affected 140 schools and directly disrupted the education of approximately 24,500 pupils. During the same period last year, around 11,100 pupils were affected, representing a 121% increase.
The disruption extended beyond the number of pupils affected. During the reporting period, pupils lost more than 875 hours of teaching time, over five times the approximately 174 hours recorded during the same period in 2025.
The report states that pupils face checkpoints, movement restrictions, threats and physical attacks while travelling to school. Across the West Bank, it is becoming increasingly difficult for children to continue their education, while some families are being forced to relocate due to security concerns.
In late September, attacks in the Tubas area prevented 10 children from reaching their schools. In another incident in Huwara, south of Nablus, a vehicle transporting pupils home was prevented from moving for more than two hours. The following day, two school buses carrying 24 children from four different communities were targeted in attacks involving stones and sticks.