The Devastation of Gaza's Academic Landscape
Before October 2023, the Islamic University of Gaza stood as a prominent educational institution within the Palestinian enclave. Despite persistent challenges, including Israeli air attacks and a prolonged siege, the university consistently aimed to foster an optimal academic environment for its students. A particular emphasis was placed on disciplines requiring significant practical training, such as medicine, health sciences, and engineering. Students routinely dedicated extensive hours in laboratories, engaging with medical equipment, analyzing samples, and applying theoretical knowledge to prepare for future careers in scientific and medical fields.
However, this educational ecosystem was severely disrupted with the onset of intense conflict in October 2023. University campuses became targets, and the existing siege intensified, restricting the entry of even basic educational supplies. Yassin al-Nounou, the university's laboratory coordinator, noted that crucial equipment for medical and health sciences, including anatomy models and educational skeletons, had arrived just days before the conflict escalated. These vital resources, intended to enhance practical learning, were subsequently lost as the university's infrastructure, laboratories, and equipment suffered extensive damage from intense bombing.
Even with a subsequent ceasefire, which began in October 2025 but has been frequently violated, the monumental task of re-establishing education from the remnants of destruction presents a new and daunting challenge for the university.
Widespread Damage and Its Impact
The conflict resulted in the destruction of 19 educational buildings and severe damage to approximately 500 classrooms, 200 scientific laboratories, and 75 computer laboratories. The university's central library, a repository of knowledge, lost over 240,000 books, journals, references, and academic theses. Abdulraouf Ali al-Manama, dean of the university’s health sciences faculty, described the past three years as an unparalleled disaster in the institution's history. Most academic buildings, classrooms, educational and research laboratories, libraries, and training clinics were obliterated. The university lost thousands of scientific devices, laboratory materials, books, and resources accumulated over five decades, leaving behind what al-Manama termed "the ruins of a destroyed university."
The mass displacement of Gaza's population further exacerbated the situation, as university facilities were repurposed into temporary shelters. Shortages of suitable classrooms, recurrent electricity and internet outages, and the severe psychological and social toll on both students and staff have profoundly hindered the university's ability to deliver education. Students face considerable difficulties in reaching the university or training locations, making the pursuit of education a challenging journey in itself. The conflict also dismantled the integrated educational environment crucial for providing students, especially those in medicine and sciences, with the professional skills essential for Gaza's future functionality.
An assessment by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in collaboration with UNESCO, confirmed extensive damage to most higher education institutions in Gaza since 2023. Hundreds of specialized laboratories and facilities are now inoperable. The practical application of theoretical knowledge—through laboratory use, medical equipment handling, sample testing, and result analysis—is fundamental to scientific and medical education. The destruction of these facilities means many practically oriented courses can now only be taught theoretically.
Innovative Solutions Amidst Adversity
As a temporary measure, the university has adopted digital simulations and recorded experiments for subjects like medical microbiology, biochemistry, hematology, molecular diagnostics, medical optics laboratories, and physical therapy training. However, al-Manama emphasizes that these digital solutions cannot fully replace the hands-on experience provided by real laboratories, which are essential for students to develop practical skills and confidence.
Deema Muhaisen, a medical student, witnessed a dramatic shift in her education after the university laboratories were destroyed. Previously, she dedicated hours to laboratory work to hone the skills necessary for a medical career. Following the destruction of the medicine faculty in December 2023, her learning environment became unfixed, largely transitioning to hospitals and healthcare settings. "In many cases, we received lectures in hospital corners and between patient rooms, gathered around doctors, in places that did not provide the minimum requirements for an educational environment," she recounted. Muhaisen particularly missed regular clinical interaction with patients under academic supervision, which she considers foundational for building a medical student's skills and confidence.
The primary focus of doctors in overcrowded hospitals was treating injured patients, leaving limited space for student training. To compensate, Muhaisen volunteered in emergency departments, wound care units, and surgery departments across northern and southern Gaza for two years. Starting with simple tasks, her responsibilities grew as the demand for medical staff increased. "I began assisting in operating rooms, following up with many patients after surgeries, and responding to their needs and concerns," she said, noting that this experience provided deep practical knowledge and reinforced her sense of responsibility.
Yassin al-Nounou highlighted the widening gap between students' theoretical knowledge and practical experience due to the absence of laboratories and medical equipment. "Students used to study the device, understand its details, how it operates, and how to use it, so they would be able to work with it when entering the job market," he explained. "Today, there is no equipment and no laboratory like the ones that existed before." This forces the university to rely on theoretical explanations, videos, and recorded experiments. Students express anxiety about entering the workforce without hands-on experience. To mitigate this, the university coordinates with healthcare centers, hospitals, and local institutions, enabling students to integrate theoretical and practical aspects of their studies in real-world settings.
The Path to Recovery and Reconstruction
Despite the extensive damage, the Islamic University is committed to gradually reintroducing in-person lectures when conditions permit. Al-Nounou acknowledges the destruction of the main campus as a significant hurdle, with few available buildings and many existing structures still serving as shelters for displaced Palestinians. In response, the university has established five branches and educational facilities across the Gaza Strip, aiming to make education more accessible for students scattered throughout the region, thereby reducing travel risks.
The university has also heavily leveraged online education, virtual simulations, recorded practical experiments, revised academic plans, and expanded field training opportunities in hospitals, healthcare centers, and local institutions. While these measures offer temporary solutions, al-Manama stresses that they cannot replace fully equipped laboratories essential for developing practical skills. Rebuilding the university entails not just repairing damaged buildings but a comprehensive reconstruction of the entire educational system, including laboratories, equipment, and training materials.
The university urgently requires new laboratory analysis equipment, microscopes, incubators, sterilization devices, measurement and analysis tools, specialized computers, chemicals, and laboratory reagents. The ongoing siege on Gaza, which complicates access to medical equipment, construction materials, and spare parts, poses a significant challenge to the university's revival. Planning remains largely theoretical, contingent on securing necessary funds and importing essential equipment to restart teaching.
Despite these formidable obstacles, the university remains dedicated to its vision of providing quality education to students in Gaza. Its graduates will be crucial to Gaza's recovery and rebuilding efforts after nearly three years of conflict. Muhaisen's ability to compensate for missed practical training through hospital volunteering underscores her resilience and the university's commitment to its students. This combined determination to safeguard the future generation of doctors and professionals highlights a critical truth: rebuilding Gaza requires not only physical reconstruction but also the preservation of human capacity. As Muhaisen aptly put it, "Investing in education today is an investment in recovery, because rebuilding people is no less important than rebuilding stones."
Source: Original Article
