Israeli occupation forces continue their genocidal war on the Gaza Strip amid the systematic targeting of all the foundations of life, particularly the education sector. The widespread destruction has affected schools, universities, and educational institutions, reducing many to rubble and turning others into shelters for thousands of families whose homes have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of students have been deprived of their fundamental right to education, with profound consequences for the future of an entire generation. The dire humanitarian conditions imposed by Israel on the population of the Gaza Strip—including the complete lack of electricity; the time consumed in searching for water, food, and medicine; continued bombardment; displacement into overcrowded areas lacking even the most basic necessities of life; and the absence of suitable learning environments—have further exacerbated the denial of students’ right to education and undermined the possibility of sustaining the educational process.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights warns of the grave consequences of this ongoing situation for the future of children and students, which threatens an entire generation and deepens the war’s impact on the Palestinian social and cultural fabric. The Center calls on the international community to take urgent action to halt attacks on education in the Gaza Strip and ensure the protection of students’ futures and educational institutions.

The Gaza Strip is entering the new 2026–2027 academic year amid a severe educational crisis resulting from the destruction of schools and continued reliance on tents that lack the basic requirements for education. This follows nearly three years of interrupted schooling, which has exacerbated learning loss and declining academic achievement. The challenges facing students are compounded by the absence of appropriate learning environments and the psychological toll of Israel’s ongoing crimes and the harsh living conditions endured by both students and teachers. Nearly 700,000 school-aged children in Gaza are affected; approximately 500,000 children attend temporary learning spaces across the Gaza Strip, while an estimated 200,000 children remain without access to any structured education[1].

After three years without regular schooling, children in Gaza are returning to classrooms this year, but not to the learning environments they should have. Nearly 98% of school buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. UNICEF has also helped 350,000 children resume learning in more than 200 learning centres across the Gaza Strip. One of the largest schools is a complex in Gaza City consisting of 20 specialised educational tents. It accommodates 4,000 students in rotating shifts, with students attending three times a week to join their peers in an accelerated learning programme. Other students attend school tents established through community and civil society initiatives[2].

A resident of the al-Nasr neighbourhood in Gaza City, identified as (S. M.), stated:

“I have a daughter in the first grade. When the war began, she was three and a half years old. Today, she is in first grade without having received any preschool education throughout this period. Her entire childhood has been filled with fear, destruction, and hunger.

“I faced great difficulty finding a school close to our home. When I eventually found one, it was a tent that lacked the most basic requirements for education. There were no suitable chairs or desks, the blackboard was small, and ventilation was poor. I was afraid for my daughter during the winter inside this school. I therefore had to enrol her in a school farther away that was in better condition. However, transportation is extremely expensive because of fuel shortages and the lack of available transport. Despite my constant fear of her being far from me in the event of bombardment or an emergency, I have no choice but to bear these costs because there is no alternative.”

The war has affected children in Gaza in every aspect of their lives. Its consequences extend far beyond destroyed buildings and infrastructure and the loss of homes. The few schools that remain operational have also been affected by the lack of suitable learning environments and years of interrupted education. The war has harmed the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, with lasting implications for their future development. Large numbers of children have been injured, many sustaining permanent disabilities as a result of the war. Their psychological distress is further compounded by having to wait in long queues for water and being unable to charge their phones to access alternative online education.

A displaced resident living in Gaza City, identified as (H. L.), stated:

“With the beginning of the academic year, we faced numerous problems. The first was that the school was far from where we live, forcing children to walk long distances, particularly given the complete lack of transportation. Another problem was the absence of a proper school environment. After years of war, our children have almost forgotten what education and school mean, what a school looks like, and how it operates.

“Even more troubling, I have noticed a very significant learning gap among my children. During the war, education was delivered remotely, and the children missed many lessons because of poor internet connectivity, displacement, or security conditions. This is in addition to the unavailability of schoolbooks and the financial burden of printing educational packets or curriculum materials.”

Cumulative figures since October 2023 illustrate the scale of the crisis. More than 21,500 children have been killed, including thousands of students, while more than 58,800 children have lost one or both parents, including 2,700 children who have been orphaned of both parents. More than 44,400 children have been injured. An estimated 10,500 children have sustained life-changing injuries requiring long-term rehabilitation, while approximately 1,500 children have undergone amputations[3].

More than 800 teachers have been killed, over 3,300 have sustained injuries of varying severity, and more than 170 teachers have been arrested and subjected to harsh conditions[4]. Palestinian teachers also face crushing living conditions due to salary crises, resource shortages, and the absence of appropriate educational environments, all of which adversely affect their performance and productivity.

Other challenges facing the education sector in the Gaza Strip include the disruption of the educational process and repeated displacement, particularly in the eastern areas of the Strip; deteriorating humanitarian conditions; and acute shortages of educational supplies and materials. These difficulties are particularly severe given the failure to allow schoolbooks into Gaza, leaving students dependent on printed educational packets that many cannot afford to print because of their high cost. Children also suffer psychological harm as a result of the ongoing attacks and the loss of any sense of safety and stability, particularly when students lose relatives or other family members.

(S. A.), a teacher working at a school affiliated with UNRWA, stated:

“We returned to work for the 2026–2027 academic year and began receiving students amid difficult humanitarian and living conditions. We are continuing the educational process in a school that also accommodates a number of displaced people, making the working environment fraught with challenges and difficulties amid limited resources and immense psychological and humanitarian pressure.

“There is no electricity, no educational materials or stationery, and the fear of bombardment is constant. The voices of displaced people can be heard throughout the school. Conditions have become extremely difficult and are affecting both teachers and students.”

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continued systematic targeting of the education system in the Gaza Strip by Israeli occupation forces, the destruction of schools and universities, and the disruption of the educational process. These actions have inflicted profound educational, psychological, and social harm on students, severely undermining their cognitive abilities and academic futures. They erode students’ fundamental right to appropriate education and deprive an entire generation of opportunities to learn, develop, and build a future. The Center stresses that targeting educational institutions, preventing students from accessing education in a safe environment, and destroying the essential foundations of the educational process serve to undermine every aspect of life in the Gaza Strip.

Accordingly, Al Mezan calls on the international community to intervene urgently to halt the attacks on the Gaza Strip, lift the blockade, and ensure the entry of the assistance and supplies necessary to resume the educational process. It further calls on the international community to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to cease targeting educational institutions, facilitate the movement of educational personnel, and develop an urgent plan to rebuild and rehabilitate schools and universities. The plan must also provide students with psychological support and rehabilitation and establish the conditions necessary to guarantee their right to appropriate education.

The Center also calls for the establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate the crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, particularly violations of the right to education, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice.