76 years have passed on to the advent of the Palestine-Israel conflict yet the recent bombings by Israel are nothing like before. On 7th October 2023, Israel categorically declared war on Palestine after encountering retaliation from Hamas and its genocidal tendencies have been on a rise ever since. Amongst all that Gaza is losing to this war, education remains on top of them. Just a few weeks ago, on the fourth of November, Israel destroyed the Gazan campus of Al-Azhar University, finishing off the last connections of the city to an higher education institute. Eleven of the higher educational institutes in the city have either been completely or partially destroyed. Nineteen of them face disruptions in serving their purpose, depriving 88,000 students of education. With destruction of university buildings and targeted killings of academics, one cannot help but wonder about the future of higher education in Gaza. It seems as if educational loss is a permanent scar that the Palestinians are enduring amidst the genocide.
There is no doubt in the fact that targeting of universities is a strategic move on behalf of Israel. By destroying universities and killing teachers, the Israeli state wants to deprive an entire generation of Palestinians from bright educational futures. However, it is important to note that this destruction of universities comes at a great cost for Gaza. University campuses are being demolished, teachers and students are being killed. All the scientific and research equipment is lost. Amidst this genocide, where basic amenities have also become a luxury for civilians, rebuilding Gaza's educational landscape will require years only if a ceasefire is conducted at the earliest. Time, energy planning and a faculty will be needed to grace the campuses. Yet, with the current situation, the future remains grim. Most of the students remain traumatised due to the proceedings of the war, slowing their educational progress and putting forward the consideration that it will not be as easy to continue these proceedings even if institutions come into place again.
Destruction of physical infrastructure coupled with the mental trauma that the Palestinian population is facing due to this conflict signals to the fact that it will require quite sometime till education, particularly higher education in Gaza could be restored to normalcy. University losses in Gaza then come off as a grave concern.