GAZA: More than 90 percent of Gaza’s schools have been either destroyed or severely damaged, making them unusable, according to Farida Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on cultural rights. She revealed that repeated attacks targeted schools, even when they served as shelters for civilians.
Speaking today, Shaheed described the destruction of Gaza’s education sector as “genocidal,” highlighting the deliberate eradication of an entire education system. She emphasised that rebuilding Gaza’s schools and universities depends on ending the war and Israeli occupation.
Despite the second semester of the academic year beginning in the occupied Palestinian territories, schools in Gaza have remained closed since October 7, 2023, when Israel’s military offensive began. Shaheed noted that Gaza’s universities have been completely destroyed, along with 13 libraries and the central archive, which held 150 years of historical records.
She stressed that education is not just about acquiring skills but is vital for identity, social cohesion, and progress. The loss of schools and universities deprives an entire generation of their right to education, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
To address this crisis, Shaheed called for large-scale scholarship programmes to support Palestinian students. She urged the international community to utilise the expertise of highly educated Palestinians in the diaspora to help rebuild Gaza’s education system.
With no clear timeline for reopening schools, the future of Gaza’s students remains uncertain. The widespread destruction of educational institutions threatens long-term social and economic recovery, making urgent international intervention necessary.