"Students at the Islamic University of Gaza have returned to in-person classes for the first time in two years, navigating a campus transformed into a site of mass displacement and utter devastation as a result of Israel's genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian enclave. This Gaza City university, which reopened following October's ceasefire, now hosts about 500 displaced families sheltering inside buildings reduced to hollow shells by Israel's relentless assault."
"Tents dot the grounds where lecture halls once stood, a stark illustration of Gaza's dual crises of homelessness and educational collapse. We came here after being displaced from Jabalia because we had nowhere else to go, said Atta Siam, one of those seeking refuge on campus. But this place is for education. It's not meant to be a shelter it's a place for our children to study."
"UNESCO estimates more than 95 percent of higher education campuses across Gaza have been severely damaged or destroyed since the war began in October 2023. First-year medical student Youmna Albaba said she had dreamed of attending a properly equipped university. I need a place where I can focus, that is fully qualified in every way, she said. But I haven't found what I imagined here. Still, I have hope because we are building everything from scratch."
Students returned to in-person classes at the Islamic University of Gaza for the first time in two years amid a campus transformed by mass displacement and devastation from Israeli bombardment. The university reopened after October's ceasefire and now shelters about 500 displaced families in buildings reduced to hollow shells. Tents cover former lecture hall grounds, reflecting homelessness and educational collapse. More than 95 percent of Gaza's higher-education campuses have been severely damaged or destroyed, according to UNESCO. Over 750,000 Palestinian students have missed two consecutive academic years of schooling, a loss described as scholasticide. Students express hope while coping with inadequate facilities and rebuilding efforts.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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