Gaza Herald — After two years of forced shutdown caused by Israel’s genocide and the destruction of Gaza’s entire education system, the Islamic University of Gaza has begun its first steps toward a gradual return to in-person learning, inside buildings scarred by bombing, with parts reduced to rubble.
Hundreds of students walked back into partially restored classrooms on Saturday, marking a symbolic moment of resilience as Gaza struggles to rebuild life under the weight of war. The return follows two years in which education was largely halted, disrupted by displacement, power cuts, and the destruction of university campuses across the Strip.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israel’s genocide completely destroyed 165 schools, universities, and educational institutions, while 392 others sustained partial damage, a collapse that paralyzed Gaza’s entire education sector. Parts of the university campus continue to shelter displaced families whose homes were wiped out, prompting urgent calls for alternative accommodations.
Officials estimate Gaza now needs 300,000 tents and modular housing units to provide minimal shelter for families displaced by two years of relentless bombardment that devastated the Strip’s civil infrastructure.
University leaders described the reopening as a historic step, noting that despite the widespread destruction of campus buildings, a phased plan is underway to restore full operations. During the war, thousands of students graduated remotely under extreme conditions, and the university is now welcoming new students in person for the first time since October 2023.
The return to classrooms underscores the deep commitment of Gaza’s youth to education, even after two years of genocide that killed more than 70,000 Palestinians and injured over 170,000, most of them women and children. The reopening stands as a defiant assertion that Gaza’s pursuit of life and learning has survived the devastation.
