West Bank Children Return to School Amid Violence and Displacement

The Education Cluster documented 224 education-related incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the first half of 2026.

More than 830,000 children are returning to classrooms across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as a new academic year begins under the shadow of violence, displacement and movement restrictions that are making the simple journey to school dangerous for many families.

For children, the opening week should bring reunions with friends, new books and excitement about the months ahead. Many Palestinian students are instead wondering whether they can travel safely, whether their schools will remain open and whether their families could be forced from their homes before the school year ends.

Education disrupted inside and beyond school grounds

The Education Cluster documented 224 education-related incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the first half of 2026. These incidents occurred inside schools, near school grounds or while students and teachers were travelling between their homes and classrooms.

The recorded incidents directly affected 152 schools, 20,450 students and 859 education personnel. Each figure represents a child whose lessons may have been interrupted, a teacher trying to support pupils under difficult conditions or a school community facing uncertainty about whether learning can continue safely.

UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said too many children cannot be sure that they will reach their classrooms safely or that their schools will remain available to them. He stressed that the start of an academic year should offer excitement and opportunity, while acknowledging that some children will not be able to return at all.

Death and displacement deepen children's distress

Ten Palestinian children were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the summer break between June and the first week of September 2026. Their deaths underline the dangers surrounding children even when schools are closed, and families would normally expect a pause from academic pressure.

More than 1,700 Palestinian children have also been displaced since the beginning of 2026 because of settler violence, administrative demolitions and restrictions on access. Losing a home can quickly become an education crisis when families are moved far from schools, transport becomes unavailable, or children no longer have a secure place to study.

The effects reach beyond missed classes. Displacement separates children from teachers, friends and familiar support networks that help them manage fear and prolonged stress. A temporary interruption can lead to learning losses, emotional distress and a greater risk of leaving education altogether, especially for children who have already experienced repeated instability.

Support keeps children connected to learning

UNICEF and its partners are working across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to help children continue their education. Their support includes remedial lessons, catch-up programmes, psychosocial care, transportation and protective measures designed to make learning safer and more accessible.

Families and school communities are also receiving education-related cash assistance, legal support and help with rehabilitating damaged facilities. Work to restore safe learning spaces gives children somewhere stable to study while offering a sense of routine at a time when much of daily life remains uncertain.

UNICEF has called for the protection of every Palestinian child and urged that schools remain safe, open and accessible. Children and education workers must be able to travel without violence, fear or obstruction, while international human rights law and international humanitarian law must be respected.

A classroom cannot end every danger surrounding a child, yet it can provide knowledge, stability, friendship and hope. Protecting access to education means protecting children's ability to imagine a future beyond the insecurity they face today.