Key facts
- Over 830,000 Palestinian students returned to school in the occupied West Bank.
- More than 4,000 students displaced from refugee camps face continued disruption.
- Six UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem have been closed by Israeli authorities.
- 10 schools in Area C serving over 360 students are abandoned due to displacement from settler attacks.
- 84 schools are under pending demolition or stop-work orders, affecting nearly 13,000 students.
- Settler attacks account for 55% of Palestinian injuries in the West Bank in 2026.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has highlighted significant disruptions to education for Palestinian students in the occupied West Bank. While over 830,000 students returned to school, thousands face ongoing challenges. OCHA reported that more than 4,000 students displaced from refugee camps in the northern West Bank have not been permitted to return to their homes. Schooling has also been impacted by the closure of six UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. In Area C of the West Bank, 10 schools serving over 360 students are now abandoned because the communities they served were displaced due to recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions. Furthermore, 84 schools are currently under pending demolition or stop-work orders, placing the education of nearly 13,000 students at risk. The report from July 16, 2026, also noted that settler attacks have become a leading cause of Palestinian injuries in the West Bank, accounting for 55% of all such injuries in 2026. Israeli settlers have demolished the Al Yanoun School, and the Ar Rifa'iyya School faces imminent demolition following an Israeli court ruling. The community of Jabal al Aqra'a is the 47th to be fully displaced since January 2023 due to settler violence and access limitations.