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Destruction of higher education (educide) in the
Gaza Strip:
Assessment and support mechanisms
By:
Dr. Ibrahim Rabaia
Dr. Lourdes Habash
July 2024
2
Table of Contents
1. Introducon __________________________________________________________________ 3
2. Monitoring the aacks and damage caused to the Higher Educaon system in the Gaza Strip _ 4
2.1. The Higher Educaon Sector in Gaza before the ongoing War ________________________________ 4
2.2. Material Losses of Universies and Colleges in Gaza Strip during the Current War _______________ 5
2.3. Human Losses to Universies and Colleges in Gaza Strip during the War ______________________ 11
3. Assessing the future challenges for Higher Educaon in the Gaza Strip __________________ 11
3.1. The Occupaon is Restructuring the Higher Educaon Sector _______________________________ 11
3.2. Challenges in Educaon Monitoring and relieving ________________________________________ 13
3.3. Academics Losing their Livelihoods ____________________________________________________ 14
3.4. Challenges of communicang with students _____________________________________________ 15
3.5. Two Cohorts Lose an Academic Year ___________________________________________________ 15
4. Supporng Higher Educaon in the Gaza Strip: Palesnian iniaves ___________________ 16
5. Supporng Higher Educaon in the Gaza Strip: regional and internaonal iniaves _______ 20
6. Challenges in implemenng support iniaves _____________________________________ 23
6.1. The Overall Psychological Context _____________________________________________________ 23
6.2. The Priority of Basic Life Essenals over Educaon ________________________________________ 23
6.3. Unstable Residence _________________________________________________________________ 24
6.4. Uncertain Future and Unfair Opportunies ______________________________________________ 24
6.5. Digizaon and Technology Issues in the Gaza Strip _______________________________________ 25
6.6. Online Registraon of Gaza Students in West Bank Universies as "Vising Students" ___________ 25
7. Suggesons for complementary Intervenons ______________________________________ 26
8. Conclusion __________________________________________________________________ 30
9. References __________________________________________________________________ 30
DISCLAIMER
This research benefited from funding from the Agence Française de Développement
(AFD). Yet, the analyzes and conclusions of this document are formulated under the
responsibility of their authors. They do not necessarily reflect the point of view of AFD,
IFPO or their partner institutions. Assumptions made within the analysis are not
reflective of the position of any French government entity.
3
1. Introduction
The higher education sector in the Gaza Strip has been systematically targeted for
decades, suffering damage to both infrastructure and human capital. Yet, the destruction
caused has reached unprecedented proportions since October 7th, in a context where
Israeli strategy is shifting from one of de-development
1
to one of educide
2
, a concept that
emphasizes the link between the damage caused to the education system and the
unfolding genocide in the Gaza Strip
3
.
This paper monitors the material and human losses to the infrastructure of the higher
education sector, ranging from partial to severe damage or total destruction of university
campuses, colleges, higher education institutions, and university faculties. As the
aggression and destruction continue and the situation on the ground evolves, it is
challenging to provide a comprehensive assessment of the war's impact on the lives of
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in general, and its education sector in particular. However,
we believe it is crucial to present an informed overview to serve as a foundation for
reflecting on the actions necessary to quickly assist and restore the higher education
sector.
This research was conducted during the preparations for the new academic year in
Palestine, which raised timely and sensitive challenges for the higher education sector in
Gaza. Several initiatives have started to work on this sector over the last few months, but
as the new academic year kicks off, it is still marked by a lack of clear evaluation and
assessment of human, infrastructural, and logistical capacities. Thus, this paper
contributes to such an effort by mapping the current landscape of the educational sector
1
According to Sarah Roy, de-development, in economic context, distorts the development process and
threatens to undermine it entirely (see: Sarah Roy, (1999). “De-development Revisited: Palestinian Economy
and Society Since Oslo”. Journal of Palestine Studies, 28(3), 64–82. https://doi.org/10.2307/2538308). In Higher
education sector, the de-development policies concentrated around de-mobility, advancing the financial
dilemmas, and selective military targeting. (See: Ibrahim Rabaia and Lourdes Habash, . “The Hidden War on
Higher Education: Unmasking the ‘Educide’ in Gaza”. POMEPS Studies 51. April, 2024.
https://pomeps.org/the-hidden-war-on-higher-education-unmasking-the-educide-in-gaza).
2
Not many researchers have used the concept “educide” before, with the notable exception of Rula Alousi,
who “recognizes the destructive impact on educational infrastructure as a form of genocide […] Historically,
and as literature was reviewed, educide has been used to insinuate the link between genocide and the
damage to the education system”. Rula Alousi (2022). “Educide: The Genocide of Education. A case study
on the impact of invasion, and conflict on education”. The business and management review, volume 13
(2).
3
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) is an
instrument of international law that codified for the first time (9 December 1948) the crime of genocide.
According to article II of the Convention, genocide means acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole
or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has
repeatedly stated that “the Convention embodies principles that are part of general customary international
law. This means that whether or not States have ratified the Genocide Convention, they are all bound as a
matter of law by the principle that genocide is a crime prohibited under international law”.
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml
4
in Gaza. It details national, regional and international attempts to bring relief to this
sector, attempts to provide a needs assessment, and introduces the grounds for
developing discussions around higher education in Gaza by providing a map of existing
efforts.
The paper offers an early assessment of the material and human losses in the higher
education sector in Gaza, drawn through qualitative and quantitative data collected
through field-based monitoring. The paper maps the existing interventions and follows
the technical and field challenges encountered in implementation. Finally, the paper
concludes with suggested interventions. Importantly, it presents the crisis affecting
human resources, as the war has led to the interruption of salaries and sources of
livelihood for employees of most universities, either partially or completely. It has also
led to the retrenchment of staff in several universities permanently or temporarily.
We undertook data collection through fieldwork that took place in Gaza between April
and June 2024, with the help of our assistant researchers. We also conducted interviews
with 18 individuals, including academics in current or previous decision-making
positions in their institutions. Twelve academics refused to participate in interviews; this
was mainly because of security concerns, but also due to limited communication tools.
We also interviewed a representative of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The data collection process faced three major challenges: the changing situation in terms
of damage and loses, as the war continued to unfold; the fragmentation of initiatives,
which made it difficult to capture these comprehensively; and the concerns of
interviewees for their safety and future career prospects in the face of such an uncertain
situation, which made it difficult to obtain full, informative interviews – most could be
described as conservative in their responses.
2. Monitoring the attacks and damage caused to the Higher
Education system in the Gaza Strip
2.1. The Higher Education Sector in Gaza before October 7th
The Palestinian higher education sector in the Gaza Strip experienced growth after the
establishment of the Palestinian National Authority. In 1994, there were seven
institutions of higher education in the Strip, including four institutes and three
universities. By 2017, the number expanded to reach 28 institutions, comprising eight
universities and 20 colleges.
4
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and
4
These numbers include branches of universities in the West Bank located in the Gaza Strip, and branches of
universities inside the Gaza Strip, such as Al-Quds Open University, as well as some faculties affiliated to
universities in Gaza. The figures of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education indicate that there are
5
Higher Education, the number of students in Gaza universities in 2017 reached 87,000,
with 80% enrolled in universities and 20% in colleges.
5
Since 2008, the higher education sector in Gaza has, however, suffered from processes of
de-development, as its institutions came to be repeatedly targeted for attack by Israel
during previous wars. In the 2014 war, the Palestinian Economic Council for
Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) estimated losses in the higher education
sector at about 10 million dollars. The losses and damages were concentrated in Al-Azhar
University, where three buildings were destroyed, and the Islamic University, where two
buildings were destroyed, along with the destruction of scientific laboratories in several
other universities.
6
During 17 years of blockade punctuated by several wars, the higher
education sector has suffered from numerous problems that have hindered its
development and resulted in its impoverishment. These include restrictions on
movements and on the importation of educational equipment (books, science laboratory
and other educational equipment),
7
complex financial crises, obstacles to the
development of infrastructure, and the destruction and targeting of facilities and
individuals.
2.2. Material Losses of Universities and Colleges in Gaza Strip during the
Current War
The current war on Gaza has led to the vast, comprehensive and systematic destruction
of the higher education sector. This includes targeting students and personnel, and
destroying key infrastructure, rendering it inoperable. Some institutions have, moreover,
turned into shelters.
The following data related to major material losses has been gathered from field-based
monitoring by field researchers, and has been double verified through comparison with
information from official sources. This data was collected from May 7th 2024, and was
continually updated from several open sources until June 20th 2024.
The monitoring process adopted three levels of categorization:
- Complete, referring to a situation of total destruction in which no university
building remains.
- Severe damage, where some destroyed buildings or floors remain, but cannot be
used for purposes of study or academic work.
nineteen education institutions in the Gaza Strip, with branches and faculties affiliated to their original
centers.
5
Rabaia, I and Habash, L. op. cit.
6
Ibid.
7
For more, See: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2011/03/16/blockade-frustrates-gaza-students.
6
- Partial, where some floors and buildings have been damaged, and others have
been bombed, but there remains the possibility to repair and restore what is left of
these buildings.
The study relied on monitoring the infrastructure of universities and colleges in the
northern governorates, regardless of their location on the ground:
- Field visits to the Gaza and North Gaza Governorate, conducted by the youth
activist, Amin Abed.
- Field visits to Khan Yunis Governorate and Rafah Governorate, conducted by the
youth activist, Sari Qa’ud.
Interviews with academics holding administrative positions in different universities in
the Gaza Strip, conducted by the assistant researcher, Yahia Qa’ud. Interviews are
attached in the Appendix.
University
Type of Education
Amount of
Damage
Nature of Losses
1
Al-Azhar
University -
Gaza
University’s main
campus – Gaza
Faculty of Intermediate
Studies – Al-Azhar
University
The campus also
includes the Faculty of
Intermediate Studies
and buildings of the
scientific faculties.
Severe
damage
Severe damage caused to the
buildings on October 11, 2023.
Faculty of Medicine
“Haidar Abdel-Shafi” –
Tel al-Hawa
Partial
Severe damage to the building
of the Medicine faculty
Al-Azhar University
branch, in al-
Mughraqa, which has
two buildings. The first
is composed of 3
faculties: Faculty of
Arts and Humanities,
Faculty of Sharia,
Faculty of Education.
The second is the
Building of King
Hassan II. It includes
Complete
The university branch in al-
Mughraqa area has been
completely blown up, and was
subsequently turned into an
Israeli military base – the former
settlement of Netzarim.
7
Faculty of Agriculture
and Veterinary
Medicine and Faculty
of Law. This branch has
6 laboratories and the
University’s radio and
television station.
Beit Hanoun Farm –
Faculty of Agriculture
Complete
The University farm, in Beit
Hanoun in the northern Gaza
Strip, has been completely
destroyed.
2
Islamic
University of
Gaza
University’s main
campus – Gaza
Complete
The Islamic University was
bombed on October 11, 2023.
The Israeli army broadcast live
videos showing the complete
destruction of the University.
Faculty of Medicine
and the University
Hospital – Al-
Mughraqa
Complete
The University branch in al-
Mughraqa was completely
blown up, and was turned into
an Israeli military base – the
former settlement of Netzarim.
The University’s branch
– Khan Yunis
Governorate
Severe
damage
The first building was bombed
and completely destroyed. The
second was raided by the Israeli
army, and its contents were
vandalized.
3
Al-Aqsa
University
University’s main
campus - Gaza
Severe
damage
The building was destroyed.
The University’s branch
– Khan Yunis
Severe
damage
Severe damage
4
Israa
University
University’s main
Campus – Al-Zahraa
city
Complete
The University in al-Zahraa city
was completely blown up, and
it was turned into a military
base - the former settlement of
Netzarim.
Israa Medical City
(under construction) –
Al-Zahraa city
Complete
The Israa Medical City, which
was still under construction,
was completely destroyed and
turned into a military base – the
former settlement of Netzarim.
8
The University’s branch
in Gaza city – Jaffa
Street.
Complete
This branch serves Gaza and its
north.
The Radio Building in
Gaza city – Israa Radio
Complete
The University Radio in Tel al-
Hawa
5
University of
Palestine
Main campus – Al-
Zahraa city
Complete
The University in al-Zahraa city
was blown up completely and
turned into a military base - the
former settlement of Netzarim.
The University’s branch
in the south – Khan
Yunis
Complete
6
Gaza
University
Main campus – Al-
Zaytoun neighborhood
Complete
The University’s branch
– North Gaza
Complete
The University branch in Beit
Lahia was bombarded, raided
and completely destroyed.
The University’s branch
– Khan Yunis
Complete
The campus in Khan Yunis was
bombed and raided by the
Israeli army.
7
Al-Quds
Open
University
Open learning
“administration”
The University’s branch
in Gaza governorate
Severe
damage
Military raid with tanks,
causing severe damage to the
University branch in Gaza
North Gaza
Complete
Bombing and raiding the
University campus in North
Gaza
Khan Yunis
Severe
damage
The branch has been bombed
yet, displaced people sheltering
there were subjected to violence
and expulsion. Thousands of
displaced people returned to it
after the Israeli army withdrew
from the governorate.
Rafah
-
The branch has not been
bombed yet. Thousands of
displaced people are sheltering
there.
9
Middle Area
-
The branch has not been
bombed yet. Thousands of
displaced people are sheltering
there.
8
University
College of
Applied
Sciences
Main campus in Gaza
City
Severe
damage
The University College was
severely damaged due to direct
bombardment in Tel al-Hawa
neighborhood.
Branch in Khan Yunis
-
The branch was turned into a
shelter for thousands of
displaced people, under
Egyptian supervision.
9
Palestine
College of
Nursing -
Khan Yunis
University college
-
The College has not been
destroyed yet, as it is adjacent to
the European Hospital, and that
area has not yet been invaded.
10
Palestine
Technical
College -
Deir al-Balah
University college
-
The College has not been
bombed nor raided yet. It is
currently sheltering thousands
of displaced people.
11
University
College of
Ability
Development
University college
-
The College of Ability
Development, affiliated to the
Palestine Red Crescent Society,
was under siege during the
invasion of Khan Yunis, with all
the displaced people and the
PRCS crews sheltering within.
12
Arab College
of Applied
Sciences
Main campus – Rafah
-
Thousands of displaced people
are sheltering in the main
campus.
Branch in the North
Complete
The building in North Gaza was
burned down and destroyed.
Khan Yunis branch
Partial
The campus was partially
damaged and the branch
director was killed during the
invasion of Khan Yunis
governorate. Nevertheless, the
branch is sheltering thousands
of displaced people.
13
Gaza
Community
Community College
Partial
A small college in Tel al-Hawa
neighborhood. It was not
10
College for
Tourism
Studies
subjected to direct damage.
However, it was partially
destroyed when the
neighborhood was bombed.
14
Gaza
Community
Training
College
First branch –
community college in
Gaza
Partial
The branch was not directly
bombed. However, the area in
which the college is located,
“The Universities Square”, was
bombed. The branch was
partially damaged due to
bombing of the Islamic
University nearby.
Second branch – Khan
Yunis
Partial
UNRWA’s Khan Yunis Training
College (Industrial) was
bombed and was under siege
for over a week as it was
sheltering thousands of
displaced people. Many of them
have lost their lives.
15
Al-Quds
University –
Abu Dis
Gaza branch
Partial
The branch was not directly
bombed. However, the area
where the campus is located
was destroyed. This campus is
dedicated only to postgraduates
16
Birzeit
University
A branch of the Media
Development Center -
Gaza
Severe
damage
The building was targeted
during the invasion of the Gaza
governorate. The branch does
not provide academic education
but offers extracurricular
activities in the Gaza Strip for
media students.
The data presented above was gathered by the field research team in Gaza Strip. The data has
been double-checked by comparing with the data of Ministry of Education and Higher
Education. A report by the Ministry, which has monitored the Israeli Occupation’s violations
against education, states:
19 higher education institutions have been subjected to severe damage in Gaza Strip. More than
33 buildings were completely destroyed, while 55 buildings were partially damaged.8
8
Israeli violations against the Palestinian higher education sector 01/01/2024 – 16/05/2024. Palestinian Ministry
of Education and Higher Education.
11
2.3. Human Losses to Universities and Colleges in Gaza Strip during the War
9
The Israeli attacks killed three presidents of universities, 17 full professors, and 59 PhD
holders. Among these was Prof. Sufian Abu Tayeh, the President of the Islamic
University, who was targeted with his family by an airstrike. Abu Tayeh was one of the
most prominent scientists of physics and applied mathematics in Gaza. The same
university lost the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Omar Farwaneh, along with the Dean
of the Faculty of Nursing, Naser Abu Nour.
10
Such systematic and planned targeting
seems aimed at eliminating human capital in the higher education sector and provoking
brain drain from Gaza. The following table details the human losses in the higher
education sector of Gaza:
Category11
Martyrs
Injured
Prisoned
Staff
105
More than 1,115
Unknown
Students
More than 579
More than 1,189
Unknown
Uncertainty about the
future and deprivation of
education.
88,000 students are deprived of the opportunity of
attending their universities. They have lost the
academic year of 2023/2024.
3. Assessing the future challenges for Higher Education in the
Gaza Strip
Several issues have been revealed through field-based monitoring of the universities, at
the institutional level and at the level of displaced peoples (including families, students
and academics) who have been sheltering in the universities’ headquarters and buildings
in the Southern Gaza Strip.
3.1. The Occupation is Restructuring the Higher Education Sector
Higher education institutions in the Gaza Strip have been systematically targeted.
Universities and colleges have been bombed with the aim of completely taking some of
https://www.mohe.pna.ps/Portals/0/uploads/ViolationsReport.pdf?ver=KHCQcjKn83FfCg1gcS84nw%3d%3d
9
Ibid.
10
Hani Zaqout. Assassinated prominent academics ... how Israel launched systematic war on Gaza
universities? TRT. 22 March 2024. https://2u.pw/P0C5EMkG
11
Ibid.
12
them out of service for political reasons, and geographically displacing others by entirely
demolishing them and preventing their future reconstruction in the same locations – if,
for instance, Israel achieves its plan of a permanent occupation in Netzarim. Statements
of the Israeli war government have made clear the deliberate and systematic nature of
the campaign of bombardments, declaring that the main goal is to prevent the presence
of life and the provision of services in the Gaza Strip.
Most branches of universities in the northern Gaza Strip, such as Al-Quds Open
University branch, Al-Zaytouna College, Gaza University, and the Arab College, are
located in the center of the northern governorate – specifically in the city of Beit Lahia, in
Sheikh Zayed Street and its surroundings. A branch of the Ministry of Education is also
present in the north. All these facilities have been bombed and then invaded by ground
forces. The campus of the Arab College of Applied Sciences, according to the briefing of
the Academic Vice-President of the northern Gaza branch, Abdullah Abu al-Hinud, was
burned down and destroyed.
12
As for Gaza University, the buildings of its branches in
Gaza City, Al-Zahraa and Khan Yunis were destroyed, according to the University’s
Director of Public Relations, Ramy Odeh. This is in addition to the destruction of all its
laboratories and classrooms, which will limit the University’s ability to accommodate
students and carry out the educational process when (or if) the genocidal war ends.
13
Similar levels of destruction were faced by other universities and colleges, but what
happened to the higher education institutions of the North coincided with the
displacement of hundreds of thousands from the North to Gaza’s southern regions?
The campaign of destruction wrought against the higher education in the North cannot
be understood in isolation from these processes of massive displacement and
depopulation, the disruption of society and its institutions and structures. The reduction
of the population in the northern Gaza Strip and the displacement of hundreds of
thousands of people together signal deep and influential social transformations which
will prevent recovery. By November 2023, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics,
14
at least 400,000 citizens have been displaced from the North; this number is
not yet fixed and depends on the future course of military operations.
This destruction mechanism has been also used in the governorates of Gaza and Khan
Yunis. Universities in the Gaza governorate were bombed. When the Occupation forces
began their ground incursions, they continued destroying universities, especially their
main campuses, such as those of al-Azhar University and the Islamic University, and
their branches in al-Zahraa and Mughraqa. Moreover, the Israa University and
12
Personal interview, Academic Vice President of the Arab College Branch, Abdullah Abu Al-Hinud, Sunday,
April 14, 2024
13
Personal interview, The Director of Public Relations of Gaza University, Rami Odeh, Monday, April 15, 2024.
14
Palestinian Bureau of Statistics reveals the number of individuals who are staying in Gaza and its north.
Alhurra. 17 of November 2023. https://2u.pw/PaypMfVV.
13
University of Palestine were turned into military settlements that split the Strip. The
occupation of the two universities located in the region where the Netzarim Settlement
stood before the Israeli withdrawal in 2005 raises concerns about the intentions of the
Israeli authorities hold this seized territory permanently. The ground invasion of Khan
Yunis governorate brought only further disaster for the displaced people escaping from
the northern governorates who had sought temporary shelter in the universities and
colleges of the governorate.
As for the economic losses, al-Azhar University in Gaza launched a distress call on 22
April 2024, requesting assistance and announcing that its financial losses stood at an
estimated $121 million. These losses may equal or surpass those of the Islamic University,
followed by the losses incurred by the Al-Aqsa University. These three universities are
the largest in the Gaza Strip, with the greatest numbers of academics and students.
15
3.2. Challenges in Education Monitoring and relieving
Notwithstanding the statistics issued and the data derived from field-based monitoring,
it remains difficult to accurately determine the extent of losses amid constant
bombardment and incursions in the Gaza Strip. What is currently being recorded is that
which occurs in places that are accessible, and with casualties who have been identified.
However, there are many victims, both academics and students, who are still under the
rubble, or have been imprisoned, kidnapped or wounded and have not yet been
registered in the records of either the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education and
Higher Education.
The monitoring process is made only more difficult by the fact that it remains impossible
to hire a monitoring team amid the ongoing war and pervasive insecurity. University
campuses in several locations cannot be accessed in this context, especially those located
in the military operation centers, such as the Netzarim axis.
15
The three universities in Gaza together comprise more than 70% of higher education students in Gaza Strip.
This can be clarified as follows:
The Islamic University: The Islamic University in Gaza offers 161 academic programs for doctoral, master's,
bachelor's, higher diploma, and specialized professional diploma levels. The University has eleven faculties
with 20,000 enrolled students.
Al-Azhar University in Gaza: Al-Azhar University offers 3 doctoral programs, 26 master's programs, and 76
bachelor's programs. The University has around 600 academic and administrative staff members, and 15,499
enrolled students.
Al-Aqsa University: Al-Aqsa University offers 72 academic programs and has around 459 academic staff
members and 16,747 students.
For more, see:
- The Islamic University channel on Telegram.
- Al-Azhar University website: https://www.alazhar.edu.ps/arabic/index.asp
- Al-Aqsa University website: https://alaqsa.edu.ps/ar/home/
14
Interviews gathered in the course of compiling this report reflected complicated life
conditions for academics and students in the displacement camps and locations. Some
academics tried to launch academic activities for some students, such as thesis defense.
16
However, some academics were forced to relocate over five times, while others left the
Gaza Strip for Egypt or other destinations.
3.3. Academics Losing their Livelihoods
In addition to human losses in the educational system, academics in the Gaza Strip suffer
from other types of losses. Many universities in the Gaza Strip rely on academics to teach
on an hourly basis, which means that their income is based on the courses they teach per
semester. Usually, academics sign semester contracts at the end of each semester, after
submitting grades for the courses they teach. These academics have been left unemployed
since the onset of the war, and universities have given no official commitment to include
them in post-war recovery plans.
17
According to the Director of Public Relations at Gaza University, Rami Aouda, there are
many private universities and colleges in the Strip that rely on tuition fees to pay salaries.
Since the educational process has been disrupted, these universities and colleges have
not been able to pay their employees. This led the University Council of Gaza University
to request that academics and employees go on unpaid leaves until further notice.
18
Both Hassan Ahmad and Marwan al-Agha
19
have clarified that the educational system in
the Gaza Strip has suffered significant material losses in buildings and facilities, along
with human losses among academics. Al-Agha says: “Without an integrated effort, we
will not be able to overcome the crisis, especially with some universities in Gaza
depend[ent] on limited and uncertain resources, such as tuition fees, to pay salaries. This
leaves experienced academics without a source of income, which makes it essential for
the Palestinian Authority and the relevant ministries to put effort to secure salaries for
academics, as they are the main asset in rebuilding the education system in the Gaza
Strip”.
20
16
For instance; Saleh Al-Ayadi from Al-Azhar University defense was in Rafah camps and through Zoom. See:
https://n9.cl/zrj8p6
17
Yahia Qa’ud, former lecturer on an hourly basis in the Faculty of Intermediate Studies in al-Azhar University.
18
Personal interview, Director of the Public Relations Department at Gaza University, Rami Odeh, Saturday,
April 13, 2024.
19
Personal Interview, Associate Professor of Business administration, the Former VP of Administrative affairs of
Al-Azhar University, Marwan Agha, 17 April, 2024.
20
- Personal interview, Vice President of the University of Palestine for Public Relations and Media Affairs, and
Advisor to the Chairman of the University’s Board of Directors, Hassan Ahmed, Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
15
3.4. Challenges of communicating with students
Most academic institutions were not able to update and contact their stuff and students
in the early months of the war, as they lost hardware, servers, technical and logistics
capacities. Most of these institutions have not updated their online pages and websites.
Universities and colleges in the Strip, especially those with branches in the northern
governorates, are still trying to contact and communicate with their students through
internet and social media platforms, hoping to give them directions whenever possible.
In a press release, Al-Quds Open University condemned the direct attacks on its
buildings and headquarters in Gaza governorate, which caused severe damage which
will hinder the continuation of the educational process once the genocidal war stops. The
University immediately exempted its students and new enrolments from paying the
tuition fees in all of the five branches it operates in Gaza (over 6,000 students).
21
Some
universities and colleges urged their students to register as visiting students at
universities in the West Bank, upon the Ministry of Education’s decision (cf. below) that
the universities in the northern governorates have quickly followed, in a serious attempt
to salvage the academic year.
However, these steps remain largely symbolic; there are no clear instructions to staff, and
students are facing challenges related to communication as the quality, cost, and even
availability of internet has limited the success of these initiatives.
3.5. Two Cohorts Lose an Academic Year
The war in Gaza deprived 88,000 university students in the Gaza Strip of attending their
educational institutions. However, there are two cohorts that have been deprived of the
chance of taking up university education, and who have not been included in statistics.
The first consists of high school students of the year 2023 who joined universities and
colleges in Gaza, but did not join a regular study process. The semester was scheduled to
begin by the end of September, but with the war starting in October 2023, not a single
student was able to complete even a single academic hour. The second cohort consists of
high school students from the 2023-2024 academic year (according to the educational
calendar in Palestine). These students were supposed to sit for exams in June 2024. Even
if they later register in West Bank universities, students in Gaza will still need academic
support and follow-up, especially in light of power and internet outages.
22
The number
21
“”Al-Quds Open University" responds to the destruction of its buildings in Gaza by exempting students of
the Strip from tuition fees”. Al-Quds Open University Website. March 6, 2024.
https://www.qou.edu/ar/viewCmsContentDtl.do?contentId=83045
22
Personal interview, lecturer at the Faculty of Middle Eastern Studies affiliated to Al-Azhar University in Gaza,
Rabah Abdel Jawad, April 2, 2024.
16
of students expected to sit for the high school exams this year is 38,000 students, marking
the first time that the high school exam in Palestine has been disrupted since 1948.
23
The situation of the school education sector is no different from that of the higher
education sector. As of February 2024, 78% of schools were damaged,
24
with more than
15,000 children killed by mid-May 2024,
25
tens of thousands injured, thousands disabled,
and an unspecified number orphaned through the loss of one or both parents.
4. Supporting Higher Education in the Gaza Strip: Palestinian
initiatives
In the five months following the beginning of the genocidal war, the Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research announced the implementation of a plan to enable the
resumption of educational processes for students in the Gaza Strip. Based on decision
“Instructions No. (1) for the year 2023 regarding the visiting students in higher education
institutions”,
26
this plan has enabled West Bank universities to admit students from Gaza.
Most West Bank universities subsequently created online portals to communicate with
students in the Gaza Strip.
This effort has been coordinated by a special technical committee in the Ministry, which
includes representatives of higher education institutions led by the council of higher
education.
27
Universities of Gaza are represented by Al-Azhar university and the
University of Palestine in this committee, which sits alongside the council of the
universities’ presidents, where all of the universities are represented. In June 2024, the
ministry organized several follow-up meetings, one of which was intended to register
university departments for early evaluations. While these efforts were led by the
Ministry, and universities have voiced hopes for restarting the educational process and
salvaging the academic year, they have raised major challenges which require effective
23
The genocide war in Gaza is burning the dreams of high school students. Palestinian Media Center. May
30, 2024. https://palinfo.com/news/2024/05/30/892108 /
24
https://www.unesco.org/ar/gaza/education?hub=102070
25
15,000 child martyrs and 145 journalist martyrs have been killed in Gaza. Al Jazeera. May 16, 2024.
https://2u.pw/mCSLOM3p
26
Instructions No. (1) for the year 2023 regarding visiting students in institutions of higher education, Official
Gazette, issued by the Diwan of Official Gazette, Issue No. 198, Ramallah, Palestine.
27
The Palestinian Council for Higher Education was established in the late 1970s to supervise and coordinate
higher education institutions. In 1994, a decree was issued for the Council to continue its tasks in planning,
developing and supervising higher education in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher
Education. According to the decree, the Council is constituted by a president, a vice president, a rapporteur
and members representing university presidents, academic experts and educators.
17
policies to be implemented efficiently, especially to improve communication services and
facilitate the access of students to host universities.
28
The committee and other related bodies are still developing the means to manage this
emergency and ongoing efforts, but they are facing several challenges, including the
ongoing destruction wrought by the war, continuous displacement, poor internet
connection and persistent challenges in updating data.
29
Accordingly, in February 2024 the Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched
“a plan for resuming the process of higher education in the southern governorates and
for recovery and reconstruction immediately after the end of the Occupation's
aggression”.
30
This plan acknowledges that it is difficult for higher education institutions
in the Strip to quickly return to their previous state, in light of the reality that the war has
imposed. Therefore, the ministry has built its interventions on three main points: firstly,
deepening connections between higher education institutions in the West Bank and those
in the Strip through the visiting student program; secondly, the gradual return of higher
education institutions in Gaza to functionality, according to the prevailing circumstances;
and lastly, facilitating student access to the internet.
Therefore, the Ministry has presented a quick compliance program that is based on the
following six pillars:
1. Utilizing infrastructure that has not been damaged, in accordance with the cooperation
framework among higher education institutions in the southern governorates.
2. Achieving cooperation among Palestinian higher education institutions across the two
halves of the nation.
3. Increasing opportunities for collaboration between higher education institutions in the
southern governorates and their counterparts outside of the Strip.
4. Mobilizing support for programs and plans that aim at the restoration and
reconstruction of what the Occupation has destroyed in all components and aspects of
the higher education sector.
5. Providing a program for psychological and social support and intervention for higher
education institutions staff and students in Gaza.
28
Personal interview, General Manager of the Palestine Planning Center, Atef Al-Muslimi, on April 20, 2024.
29
Personal Interview, The coordinator of the special committee of the Higher Education of Gaza, Rabee Abu-
Shamleh, on July 08, 2024.
30
Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Palestine. "Plan for resuming the process of higher education
in the southern governorates and for recovery and reconstruction immediately after stopping the
occupation’s aggression”. (Unpublished document). February 2024.
18
6. Adopting programs specialized in preparing and qualifying human resources in higher
education institutions, and seeking assistance from external competences.
In the same context, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education held a meeting with
the presidents of Palestinian universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through video
conference on 24 April 2024 chaired by Minister Amjad Barham. The meeting discussed
ways to aid the educational process in the Gaza Strip. The essence of the meeting was
summarized in two key points within the approved plan: first, the reactivation of the
educational process as part of a relief effort, specifically through the Ministry's initiative
to enroll students from Gaza in the higher education institutions in the West Bank as
visiting students; second, the reconstruction of educational institutions destroyed by the
Occupation, with the Ministry affirming that it will spare no effort to achieve the desired
goals of the plan.
31
In parallel, the Ministry has intensified its work with universities to
conduct quality control analysis and build assessment tools, through successive meetings
of Admissions and Registration directors at universities participating in this initiative.
Before moving to the initiatives in the West Bank, several universities in Gaza had
undertaken some preparations to start the new academic year online (as was the case
with the Islamic University and Gaza University). These universities urged their students
to register, but they still faced challenges in communicating with their staff, with
questions raised about the ability of the stuff and their students to maintain stable internet
connectivity.
This plan is complemented by several initiatives launched by universities in the West
Bank, such as Birzeit University, An-Najah University, Al-Quds University, and the Arab
American University. All these initiatives, which we detail below, are in line with the
guidelines proposed by the Ministry, and can be seen as part of the visiting student
program.
University32
The Initiative
Details
Birzeit
University
“Rebuilding Hope”
10,000 students have registered. 4,700
students have enrolled in 155 courses
taught by 140 volunteering professors.
31
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Palestinian Universities Presidents Council, discusses
ways to aid the educational process in higher education institutions in Gaza, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
https://2u.pw/qwC3seYG
32
The data was obtained through personal interviews and from open databases on the institutional websites.
The numbers are not fixed, and change each semester.
19
An-Najah
University
Enabling Gaza’s students to
continue their higher education
“Hand in Hand Rebuilding Hope”
In coordination with the Mediterranean
Universities Union and the Palestinian
Student Support Fund, with 10
companies including the Agence
universitaire de la Francophonie.
3,000 students have enrolled in 193
courses taught by 100 lecturers from
inside the University and 200 lecturers
from outside.
Al-Quds
University
An initiative to record the second
semester 2023/2024
Lectures are recorded so that students
can get access to them when they are
connected to internet. Students are
required to complete the tasks assigned
to them.
2,405 students are registered, 500 of
them have submitted applications to
join the clinical training.
Arab
American
University
An initiative to record the second
semester 2023/2024
2,000 enrolled students
Al-Quds
Open
University
Al-Quds Open University Initiative
Opening registration for new students
to get enrolled at the University at no
cost.
Palestine
Technical
University
Integrating students of the Gaza
Strip in the educational process.
Enrolling the students of the Gaza Strip
in the University’s courses and
programs
Hebron
University
Special semester
Enrolling the students of Gaza Strip in
special courses
Palestine
Polytechnic
University
Special semester
Enrolling around 1,000 students in 30
courses taught by volunteering
professors from inside the University
within a special semester.
Bethlehem
University
Special summer semester
Opening registration for Gaza
university students as visiting students
for the online special summer semester
Dar al-
Kalima
University
A special summer semester as part
of the “Right to Education, Right to
Life” initiative
Opening registration for Gaza
universities’ students as visiting
students for the online special summer
semester
20
5. Supporting Higher Education in the Gaza Strip: regional and
international initiatives
The following Table summarizes major regional and international initiatives, some which
include local partnerships, to support higher education institutions in Gaza:
Initiative
Local/Regional/
international
player
Intervention/ Action
Progress
Emergency call
of Universities
in Gaza
Gaza Universities’
Staff
Call for:
1. Public Pledges to
Rebuild Gaza Universities.
2.Immediate Support for
Online Instruction.
Open Call
Academic
Solidarity With
Palestine
Non-Profit
Organization -
Paris
Helping Gazan students
resume their studies,
through online teaching.
Working with Al-Najah
university, which sets
up the virtual
classrooms and
organizes the courses.
Around 300 Gazan
students in courses as
varied as Electrical
Engineering,
Introduction to Python,
French Writing or
Discrete Mathematics
Scholars Against
the War on
Palestine
(SAWP)
Transnational
Coalition
Call to end the war and the
Scholasticide on Gaza.
And supports the
Palestinian Academic call.
Technical
Education
Support for
Higher
Education
Students (TESI)
UNIMED
(Mediterranean
Universities Union)
Funded by AUF
(French University
Agency)
Joint Initiative with Al-
Najah University and the
Palestinian Scholarship
Fund to launch the visiting
student program.
The first semester of the
initiative is finished.
Researchers in
War
The Arab Council
for Social Sciences
(ACSS)
Small grants to researchers
in Gaza to write about the
war.
A4G
Online
An international network
of volunteer scholars from
Conducted several
educational meetings
21
diverse academic
backgrounds who provide
online tutoring sessions,
seminars, and tailor-made
lectures to the students of
Gaza, addressing specific
needs of students.
with universities and
students from Gaza.
Supports several of the
West Bank universities
in the visiting student
program, mainly by
volunteer academics.
OxPal
Non-Profit
Organization- UK
Support for Palestinian
medical students who
have been displaced,
working to transfer them
to medical schools around
the Middle East and
Europe by negotiating
with medical schools to
accept these students to let
them finish their studies,
raising funds for their
fees/ living costs and basic
supplies, and providing
them with interim teaching
until they can be restituted
Ongoing
PSSF's Gaza
Initiative
Non-profit
organization - US
Over the span of 5 years,
their goal is to raise $10
million exclusively
dedicated to Gaza. These
funds will be utilized to
assist stranded students
outside of Gaza, facilitate
online education through
partnerships with
universities in the West
Bank, and contribute to the
reconstruction of Gaza's
educational infrastructure.
Vital materials and
equipment will be
provided to students,
ensuring a seamless
transition for both them
and the universities.
Several partnerships
with Palestinian
universities in the WB
and GS, mainly to
support online
education.
GEM (Gaza
Educate Medics)
PalMed Academy
To establish a dedicated
program to support
Palestinian medical
students in Gaza. Their
aim is to provide them
with the necessary
22
resources, training,
evaluation, and
opportunities to advance
their education and
contribute to the future
healthcare workforce in
the Gaza Strip.
Beside these initiatives, the committee has undertaken open discussion about specific
interventions which are needed to bring relief, protection, and restructuring to the higher
education sector of Gaza, as mentioned in the table below:
33
Partner
Items of Discussion
Level of progress
The
American
Consulate of
Jerusalem
The Consulate has suggested creating online platforms
to gather all of the American related initiatives,
volunteers, and interested institutions.
The Committee asked for help in relation to
communication solutions.
The Committee asked for support in developing a
concrete survey of losses.
One of the major demands of the committee was to
support offering large servers, to make one more
backup copy for the universities’ documents, as the first
stage in creating a national documentation center.
Early Discussions
The
University
of Lahore
The University suggested hosting Palestinian students
on their campus.
The committee doesn’t encourage such interventions,
due to several political sensitivities.
The committee suggested that they instead support
online infrastructure.
Early Discussions
Adam Smith
International
Developing the needed online infrastructure.
Developing a unified learning management system.
Creating virtual labs.
Early discussions
33
Personal Interview, Rabee, Abu Shamleh, ibid.
23
6. Challenges in implementing support initiatives
The acceleration and expansion of the war have together posed challenges to
implementing the plan, which began its first phase with the “visiting student” system for
the academic year 2023/2024. In addition to preventing the first-year students from
actively taking part in this process, the enlargement of the war’s affected areas, the
catastrophic results of its weapons, the destruction of digital infrastructure, and the
continuous displacement of people, presents huge challenges to the effectiveness of
online education. The major obstacle thus remains the continuation of war, which makes
everyday life uncertain and forces people to remain in emergency conditions. The need
to eke out a means of survival, to constantly escape from death and to fight to get food,
have come to assume far greater priority than education. Similarly, the continuing
blockade poses real difficulty insofar as it slows down the prospects for reconstruction
and, above all, contributes to isolating the academic institutions, teachers and students of
the Gaza Strip, complicating any support initiative.
6.1. The Overall Psychological Context
The war is still ongoing and the psychological conditions that both students and
academics are experiencing are incredibly arduous. The psychological context is
characterized by constant anxiety, instability, lack of personal and collective security,
compounded by the psychological effects of material and human losses. This was felt
when we conducted the interviews with academics: many of them were unable to speak
and express their opinions, apologizing for not being able to think and speak about their
experiences. Some of them have lost family members, while others have lost colleagues,
in addition to the material losses they have suffered. As for the students, all they wish for
is an end to the genocide and to go back to their universities – often voicing these desires
as if they do not believe that the universities have been completely destroyed. Upon
receiving his acceptance letter as a visiting student in Birzeit University, Mohammad
Bareka, an Information Technology student at the Islamic University, asks: "How can a
student study, knowing that they could be killed at any moment, or that a missile could
fall on his/her house or the houses of his/her neighbors?". Faras Dahlees, a Media
student at the same university, says: "The general mood of students is extremely bad due
to the conditions of the war and the ongoing Israeli crimes."
34
6.2. The Priority of Basic Life Essentials over Education
34
Yasser Al-Banna. “Will West Bank universities succeed in compensating Gaza students remotely?” Al-
Jazeera. 29th April 2024.
24
The daily life of both academics and students is often filled by the search for water and
food. In the absence of urgent and real alternatives, this makes it difficult to resume the
educational process, especially since most universities and academics have suffered
severe damage.
35
Since the second month of the war, essential basic goods have been
obtained by people only after waiting in long queues for many hours. Family members
spread out across various queues to obtain food or water, or to get access to health
facilities. During gas shortages, other family members go out to search for firewood for
cooking.
36
6.3. Unstable Residence
People in the Strip face the constant threat of displacement and dispossession. The Israeli
forces declared that areas beyond the Gaza Valley are safe. However, Khan Younis was
invaded, causing the residents to flee to other areas – this after many have already been
displaced several times. This leads to a lack of stability that might threaten the process of
remote education.
37
Moreover, instability in access to temporary shelter centers has
worsened after the invasion of Rafah, leading to renewed displacement of around one
million Palestinians from Rafah to the central areas. There are no safe shelters in the Gaza
Strip because all areas, without exception, are under attack.
6.4. Uncertain Future and Unfair Opportunities
The suspension of university education and the halted enrollment of students in the
current academic year have caused university students to lag behind their counterparts
in the West Bank and in the world, and have greatly increased the uncertainty of their
future opportunities.
38
The genocidal war has created the conditions for inequality in
accessing educational and job opportunities for the students of the Strip, especially for
those who are living under the army siege, such as in northern Gaza. The lack of a clear
path for students to complete their education and graduate in the coming semesters,
combined with the absence of job opportunities due to the collapse of all economic
sectors, has led many students to postpone their university studies.
39
35
Personal interview, member of the General Secretariat General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions and
a lecturer of Sociology, Salama Abu Zaiter, on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
36
Ahlam Al-Faleh. “Gaza.. Queues for Everything and the Result is "bits”". Nawa. April 17, 2024.
https://2u.pw/yLVhqgvq
37
Personal interview, associate professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Al-Aqsa University,
Abdelhamid Al-Firani, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
38
Personal interview, economic and social expert, Omar Shaaban, Wednesday, April 22, 2024.
39
Personal interview, Director of the NGOs Network in Gaza, Amjad Al-Shawwa, Wednesday 17th of April
2024.
25
6.5. Digitization and Technology Issues in the Gaza Strip
In light of the ongoing war, the Gaza Strip is witnessing frequent disruption in electricity
supply and internet connection – the basics of online education. Many faculties and
specializations need laboratories, and others require constant academic follow-ups. Many
students in the Strip have not been able to register in the universities of the West Bank,
as “visiting students" due to the lack of internet connection and electricity.
40
These issues
increase the challenge of implementing the universities’ initiatives and the Ministry’s
decisions in relation to the northern governorates. Telecommunication networks have
been disabled dozens of times in different areas of Gaza since October 7th, leading to
complete interruptions of internet services (10 times in total), some of which have lasted
for weeks. Such interruptions are not temporary, as about 72% of communication towers
have gone out of service.
41
Moreover, data shows that around 11 individuals with
expertise in information technology have been assassinated, and that all technological
institutions in Gaza have been destroyed.
42
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory has
also documented cases where civilians have been targeted, either by snipers or by drones,
while they were trying to access internet or communication signals.
6.6. Online Registration of Gaza Students in West Bank Universities as "Visiting
Students"
Many Gaza students are registering at universities in the West Bank electronically
without really recognizing the challenges that they will face. However, while the actual
registration may not prove challenging, the process of trying to study in a tent along with
displaced family members can be incredibly difficult. Moreover, there are differences in
the academic plans and teaching courses among the Palestinian universities. Therefore,
registering as a "visiting student" without coordination and emergency plans to ensure
continuity in the educational process often remains ineffective.
43
Furthermore, some specializations require taking practical and applied courses. Given
the crisis of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the later attacks on the Gaza Strip in 2021-
40
Personal interview, program producer at Palestine TV and a lecturer on an hourly basis at several universities
in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Awad-Allah, Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
41
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy issued
a joint press release on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, which is marked on the 17th
of May. Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
https://www.mtit.pna.ps/home/news/22991?culture=ar-SA
42
Personal interview, Project Coordinator at the Center for Development Studies in Gaza - Birzeit University,
Ghassan Abu Hatab, April 20, 2024.
43
Personal interview, assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration, and former Vice
President for Administrative Affairs at Al-Azhar University, and Deputy Secretary-General of the General Union
of Palestinian Economists, Marwan Al-Agha, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
26
2022, and now the genocidal war in 2023-2024, an entire cohort of students has not been
able to engage in any practical work during the course of their studies at universities.
44
Data of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education indicates that approximately
50,000 visiting students have applied to various higher education programs in different
areas of the West Bank. Several thousand of them enrolled in the first phase, which
represents only a fraction of the size of the higher education sector in Gaza. In parallel,
the Ministry has started preparing the necessary procedures to authenticate courses and
documents electronically. Consultations have also continued to facilitate the enrollment
of Gaza students in universities abroad, especially in Egypt and Qatar. Follow-ups have
been implemented by the Palestinian Ministry of Finance regarding the dues of higher
education institutions in Gaza, while preparations continue for the launch of the Arab
Platform for Digital Education, in cooperation with the Arab Universities Union and the
Arab Union for Digital Economy.
45
7. Suggestions for complementary Interventions
Despite the current circumstances of the higher education system in Gaza Strip, the
significant human and material losses suffered by students, academics, and
administrators which have manifested in a number of challenges, it is still possible to
pursue multiple paths to overcome these challenges and to salvage the academic year for
higher education students. This is imperative, especially in light of the loss of the
academic year for students in the primary and secondary education stages.
The initiatives mentioned above still face several challenges and questions related to
fragmentation and duplication, non-coherent interventions, and financial resources. The
institutional context of this sector – the Ministry and the major three related bodies (the
Council of Higher education, the council of universities’ presidents, and the related
technical committee) – are supposed to coordinate these initiatives and its interventions
by conducting transparent and continuously updated needs assessments and mapping
the existing interventions.
In this regard, we present a set of practical proposals, some of which form part of the
existing discussions related to this sector, within the following framework:
44
Op. cit. Amjad Al-Shawwa.
45
Prominent achievements and activities within the framework of implementing a plan for aiding the
educational process in the Gaza Strip, 25 May 2024. Ministry of Education and Higher Education / Higher
Education and Scientific Research Sector. (Unpublished report).
27
Framework of Proposed Interventions
Intervention
Description
Essential
Requirements
Challenges and Obstacles
Impact
Establishing
mobile
academic
incubators
Creating logistically specified
sites in the form of caravans or
large tents, which include the
necessary infrastructure for e-
learning, such as high-speed
internet, electric power sources,
and locations for defending
theses.
On-site coordinator.
Infrastructure that
includes electricity
"solar cells" and high-
speed internet.
Caravan or tent with
specific coordinates to
provide the means to
attempt to protect it.
Unstable situation in the
camps and continuous
displacement.
Direct targeting of camps in
some locations.
High number of citizens
outside the camps.
Capacity in the field to
provide sufficient incubators
for students.
Overcoming the issues of
internet and electricity
instability, and ensuring the
students are continuously
attending their lectures.
Providing an interactive
academic environment, even if
limited, that engages students
in the educational process
again.
Launching
the Student
Academic
Interaction
Program in
Social
Sciences /
popular
education
Creating decentralized student
working groups that include
students and graduates of the
same specialization (even if they
are coming from different
universities) in the same
residential area. This is intended
to build a popular, interactive
academic program for students in
which graduates or students in
advanced academic years can
transfer knowledge to students in
their second and third years,
according to a national popular
education program devised
A location in each
residential
community center,
according to each
stage of the project
Individuals’ priority is to
obtain food and water and to
ensure their security
Ensuring sustainability and
continuity
Engaging students in a process
of popular education which
interacts with the community
The ability to establish popular
education committees, for
higher education levels, that
cover the whole Gaza Strip.
28
through coordination among
universities.
Academic
program for
archiving the
war and
Gaza before
war
The current war poses a major
challenge in terms of archives and
their destruction. Gaza's
academics must therefore be
integrated into the heart of the
archiving work as soon as
conditions allow. This is one way
of re-establishing relevant activity
during the war and following
through to the post-war period
(this study is an example of what
can be done).
Set up an
administrative and
financial systems for
the payment of
services, which may
involve finding local
intermediaries
The ongoing war and the
continuous displacements
produce high levels of
insecurity for any field work.
Creating a reliable database for
academic work.
Simulation
labs (that
require long
truce and
stability)
Establishing simulation labs for
scientific specializations,
especially for the Engineering and
Science faculties. Labs to be
located in fixed locations in the
Strip.
Technical and
technological
requirements to set up
labs at specific
locations
The end of war or a long-
lasting ceasefire does not
appear on the horizon.
Overcoming the difficulty of
accessing laboratory supplies,
including equipment and
materials
Establishing
a unified
digital
platform for
higher
education
services in
Gaza.
Establishing a platform that
provides constant interaction
among students, graduates,
academics and the higher
education institutions to obtain
academic support services, such
as documents and personal letters
of admission, endorsement and
nomination.
Universities’
databases
Lack of digitized databases in
some universities
Difficulty in allocating
administrative staff.
Facilitating access to necessary
data for students and
graduates, especially that there
are students who wish to join
foreign universities
29
Establishing
a higher
education
relief fund
in Gaza
Launching a national and
international call to gather aid for
higher education. This is
envisaged as operating through
donations to a unified fund, with
local–international governance
arrangements that support the
mentioned interventions and
provides resources for higher
education staff in phase of aid
phase (while not yet considering
the reconstruction phase).
A supervision
committee and local –
international
governance
arrangements
The priority of the financing
to be directed towards aid
Providing resources to pay the
salaries of the employees and
fund the interventions
Strengthen
collaboration
s between
Palestinian
universities
and
universities
around the
world.
Collaborations can take the form
of individual sponsorships and
scholarships, in coordination with
Palestinian universities, to
professors and doctoral students
to enable them to quickly return
to their academic activities in the
Gaza Strip, possibly by giving
distance courses or participating
in research and publication
programs, while allowing them to
remain involved in Palestinian
academia.
Coordination with
Universities and
academic networks
abroad
The risk of inequality, based
on the individual relations of
each university or the
political classification in
other cases.
The limited internet
connection.
Keeping academics updated
and involved.
Supporting local universities
of Gaza in academic crisis
management by bringing
international experience and
support
Giving a
voice to
Palestinian
universities
and
knowledge
producers
Organizing conferences,
publishing research and inviting
academics from Gaza to take part
is also a way of reinvigorating the
Gaza Strip and breaking its
isolation.
These academic initiatives
are still fragmented and non-
systematic, which makes
overlapping possible.
30
8. Conclusion
The proposals contained in this report are not exhaustive, and there obviously remains a
great deal more to do. These proposals will need to be further explored in collaboration
with various stakeholders. Our study makes it possible, however, to initiate dialogue
with some of these actors and institutions, and we hope that the publication of this study
can allow us to advance further reflection on the future of Palestinian higher education,
starting from the Gaza Strip.
Some of the losses endured as a result of the ongoing genocidal war are already
irreversible (the deaths of staff and students, the total destruction of cultural
infrastructure and heritage). There is therefore an urgent need to take seriously the
challenges posed by the conflict to the fate of the younger generations – as well as future
generations.
The diagnosis provided here, along with the practical proposals presented, offer an
opportunity for us to emphasize the urgency of the response that must be provided to
this sector, whether during the war or in its immediate aftermath. We also hope that this
study can serve as the basis for a more in-depth discussion about the direction of the
Palestinian education system in the context of war and genocide.
9. References
1. Ahlam Al-Faleh. “Gaza.. Queues for Everything and the Result is "bits"”. Nawa. April
17, 2024. https://2u.pw/yLVhqgvq
2. Al Jazeera. “15,000 child martyrs and 145 journalist martyrs have been killed in Gaza”.
May 16, 2024. https://2u.pw/mCSLOM3p
3. Al-Aqsa University website: https://alaqsa.edu.ps/ar/home /
4. Al-Azhar University website: https://www.alazhar.edu.ps/arabic/index.asp
5. Alhurra. “Palestinian Bureau of Statistics reveals the number of individuals who are
staying in Gaza and its north”. 17 of November 2023. https://2u.pw/PaypMfVV.
6. Al-Quds Open University. "”Al-Quds Open University responds to the destruction of
its buildings in Gaza by exempting students of the Strip from tuition fees”. March 6,
2024. https://www.qou.edu/ar/viewCmsContentDtl.do?contentId=83045
7. Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Palestine. "Plan for resuming the
process of higher education in the southern governorates and for recovery and
reconstruction immediately after stopping the occupation’s aggression”.
(Unpublished document). February 2024.
31
8. Official Gazette. “Instructions No. (1) for the year 2023 regarding visiting students in
institutions of higher education”, issued by the Diwan of Official Gazette, Issue No.
198, Ramallah, Palestine.
9. Palestinian Media Center. “The genocide war in Gaza is burning the dreams of high
school students”. May 30, 2024. https://palinfo.com/news/2024/05/30/892108 /
10. Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education. “Israeli violations against
the Palestinian higher education sector 01/01/2024 – 16/05/2024”.
https://www.mohe.pna.ps/Portals/0/uploads/ViolationsReport.pdf?ver=KHCQcj
Kn83FfCg1gcS84nw%3d%3d
11. Personal interview, Academic Vice President of the Arab College Branch, Abdullah
Abu Al-Hinud, Sunday, April 14, 2024
12. Personal interview, assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration,
and former Vice President for Administrative Affairs at Al-Azhar University, and
Deputy Secretary-General of the General Union of Palestinian Economists, Marwan
Al-Agha, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
13. Personal interview, associate professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Al-
Aqsa University, Abdelhamid Al-Firani, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
14. Personal interview, Director of the NGOs Network in Gaza, Amjad Al-Shawwa,
Wednesday 17th of April 2024.
15. Personal interview, Director of the Public Relations Department at Gaza University,
Rami Odeh, Saturday, April 13, 2024.
16. Personal interview, economic and social expert, Omar Shaaban, Wednesday, April 22,
2024.
17. Personal interview, General Manager of the Palestine Planning Center, Atef Al-
Muslimi, on April 20, 2024.
18. Personal interview, lecturer at the Faculty of Middle Eastern Studies affiliated to Al-
Azhar University in Gaza, Rabah Abdel Jawad, April 2, 2024.
19. Personal interview, member of the General Secretariat General Federation of
Palestinian Trade Unions and a lecturer of Sociology, Salama Abu Zaiter, on
Thursday, April 18, 2024.
20. Personal interview, program producer at Palestine TV and a lecturer on an hourly
basis at several universities in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Awad-Allah, Wednesday, April
17, 2024.
21. Personal interview, Project Coordinator at the Center for Development Studies in
Gaza - Birzeit University, Ghassan Abu Hatab, April 20, 2024.
22. Personal interview, Vice President of the University of Palestine for Public Relations
and Media Affairs, and Advisor to the Chairman of the University’s Board of
Directors, Hassan Ahmed, Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
23. Prominent achievements and activities within the framework of implementing a plan
for aiding the educational process in the Gaza Strip, 25 May 2024. Ministry of
Education and Higher Education / Higher Education and Scientific Research Sector.
(Unpublished report).
32
24. Rabaia, I and Lourdes Habash. The Hidden War on Higher Education: Unmasking
the “Educide” in Gaza. Project of Middle East Political Science. POMEPS Studies 51,
April 2024
25. The Islamic University channel on Telegram.
26. UNESCO: https://www.unesco.org/ar/gaza/education?hub=102070
27. Yahia Qa’ud, former lecturer on an hourly basis in the Faculty of Intermediate Studies
in al-Azhar University.
28. Yasser Al-Banna. “Will West Bank universities succeed in compensating Gaza
students remotely?” Al-Jazeera. 29th April 2024.
