At the time the war on Gaza is nearing to enter its third year, the death toll from the Israeli occupation’s relentless assault has risen to 65,141 martyrs, with 165,925 wounded since October 7, 2023. This aggression has reduced hundreds of schools and universities to rubble, depriving countless students of their right to education for a third consecutive year.
Against this backdrop of devastation, a group of prominent international figures — led by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and member of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocates Group — issued a joint statement demanding urgent global action to end ongoing violations against children and education systems in war zones. The statement coincided with the sixth anniversary of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, amplifying its moral and political weight.
The statement condemned what it described as the worst year in the lives of children in conflict zones. It warned of the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and other hotspots, stressing that children worldwide are being killed, starved, injured, and stripped of their most fundamental human rights — above all, the right to education.
Signed by several distinguished global figures, the statement increases international pressure on Israel to end its war on Gaza and occupation of Palestinian territories. It also spotlighted continuing attacks on education in Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Colombia, and other regions, underscoring that such systematic violations of international law are not new — but remain intolerable. Gaza epitomizes the gravest violations of international law: genocide against civilians, including children, systematic starvation, forced displacement, and the deliberate destruction of educational institutions. It described this campaign as an “education genocide” — a calculated attempt to erase Gaza’s intellectual, cultural, and social identity by targeting its schools, universities, and libraries.
The signatories stressed that the international community is increasingly aware of the scale of Israel’s crimes, with growing global voices demanding accountability and justice.
In parallel, 326 former EU and member-state ambassadors and senior officials issued their own declaration, demanding the European Union immediately impose targeted sanctions on the Israeli government and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. “We cannot stand idly by, watching Gaza reduced to rubble and its inhabitants driven into destitution and starvation,” the European diplomats warned.
Amnesty International also condemned the complicity of states, public institutions, universities, corporations, and private actors around the world that are either enabling or profiting from Israel’s violations of international law. Amnesty demanded an end to this “lethal addiction to economic gains at all costs”, stressing that profit cannot be placed above human lives and international justice.
