Gaza, 24 January 2025 — On this International Day of Education, Al Mezan sheds light on the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Palestinian education system in Gaza, which has left a whole generation of Palestinians without access to education. 

Israel’s 15-month-long genocidal military campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza has devastated the education system: schools, kindergartens, universities, research facilities, and other educational institutions have been deliberately targeted, depriving over 750,000 Palestinian students of their right to education for two consecutive academic years, thereby threatening the future of an entire generation.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israeli attacks have resulted in the partial or complete destruction of 494 schools and universities, with 137 institutions reduced to rubble. Israeli attacks have also killed an estimated 12,800 students, 760 teachers and educational staff, and 150 academics and researchers. Beyond the destruction of physical infrastructure, the bombing of schools and warehouses has obliterated essential resources, including school furniture, textbooks, and vital educational supplies, further debilitating Gaza's education system.

In an interview with Al Mezan on 18 December 2024, Majdi Barhom, a representative of the Ministry of Education in Gaza, reported that over 650,000 Palestinian students have been unable to attend general education stages due to Israel’s genocide. Additionally, 30,000 children have been denied access to kindergartens, and 40,000 students were unable to complete their secondary school exams. 

Non-formal education programs, such as evening studies and literacy initiatives, have also been severely impacted. Efforts by the Ministry of Education and UNRWA to implement remote learning systems have been severely undermined by the dire humanitarian conditions on the ground. Electricity and internet outages, ongoing forced displacement, and a lack of even the most basic necessities have made it nearly impossible to sustain educational initiatives, leaving countless students without access to learning opportunities for almost a year and a half. 

Families, already battling to secure essentials like water, food, and medicine, are overwhelmed by the additional burden of supporting their children’s education, making it an almost insurmountable challenge. Inas Khadr Salem Deeb, a 36-year-old mother of three daughters, told Al Mezan: “I learned that UNRWA launched a remote learning system, but registering my daughters required walking long distances to access internet services. I couldn’t keep up with their weekly self-learning cards due to the lack of internet and electricity in our displacement area. Teaching my children has become almost impossible without basic supplies like paper, notebooks, and stationery. My daughters now help fetch drinking water, collect food from the soup kitchen, and search for a place to charge our mobile phones.”

Fifteen months of relentless bombings have inflicted severe psychological trauma and behavioral challenges on students, stemming from widespread death, displacement, and the loss of family members. Many are also grappling with deteriorating health and malnutrition, exacerbated by widespread food shortages and the spread of diseases in overcrowded shelters, further compounding their suffering.

Al Mezan emphasizes that education is a fundamental human right, essential for lifting individuals out of poverty, reducing inequalities, and fostering sustainable development. Israel’s actions targeting the Palestinian education system in Gaza constitute not only genocidal acts but also grave violations of international human rights law— particularly the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights—and international humanitarian law. 

Al Mezan urges the international community to take decisive action to prevent the recurrence of genocide in Gaza. We further call for the complete lifting of the closure and blockade imposed on Gaza and demand that Israeli leaders, soldiers, and all those responsible for crimes against Palestinians be held accountable through international investigations and legal mechanisms. 

Al Mezan underscores the urgent need to prioritize the restoration of Gaza’s education sector to safeguard the future of its future generations. We appeal to UN agencies, international organizations, and donors to prioritize the rebuilding of schools and universities, ensuring access to education and addressing critical learning gaps. Comprehensive psychological and social rehabilitation programs are also essential to support students at all educational levels. Additionally, providing adequate shelters for displaced families is critical to vacate educational facilities, allowing for their proper restoration and the return of students.