A new report by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) reveals the near-total devastation of Gaza’s education system, threatening the future of over 625,000 Palestinian children.

The findings come amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught that has claimed the lives of more than 16,800 Palestinian students across Gaza and the West Bank since October 2023.

The comprehensive assessment, based on satellite data collected on July 8, 2025, confirms that 97% of Gaza’s 564 schools have sustained damage, with more than three-quarters suffering direct hits requiring complete reconstruction. Only 1.4% of schools remain unclassified. Governmental and UNRWA schools bore the heaviest toll, while private schools also experienced severe damage.

Regional Impact

Northern Gaza and Rafah have faced total destruction of their educational infrastructure, with 100% of schools damaged or directly hit. Khan Younis follows closely at 98.4%, and Gaza governorate at 93.3%. The systematic destruction has escalated sharply since November 2023, with the number of severely damaged schools rising from fewer than 100 in late 2023 to over 430 by mid-2025.

Lost Education and Years

Research by Cambridge University and UNRWA warns that even under immediate reconstruction, students may lose two years of education, and if the war continues into 2026, losses could reach five years—not including the trauma and displacement already endured. Gaza’s children have already missed 14 months of schooling since 2019 due to COVID-19 and repeated conflicts.

The scale of reconstruction is staggering: 26 million tons of rubble must be cleared, basic utilities restored, unexploded ordnance removed, and more than 200 schools rebuilt from the ground up before education can safely resume.

Teachers and Universities Targeted

Israel’s assault has also decimated Gaza’s teaching workforce. Over 410 teachers have been killed, 2,460 injured, and remaining educators struggle under extreme conditions. Specialized vocational programs in medicine, engineering, and teacher training have been dismantled.

Higher education institutions have not been spared. Every university in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed, leaving 78,000 students unable to continue their studies. The deliberate targeting of Palestinian intellectuals has resulted in 94 professors killed, including three university presidents and seven deans, alongside 450 additional university staff.

UN experts warn of “scholasticide”, describing the deliberate destruction of schools, universities, and educators as a systematic attempt to eradicate Palestinian education and undermine the future of Palestinian society.

The report underscores the urgent need for international intervention to protect Gaza’s children, restore education, and hold perpetrators accountable for what many describe as an assault on the very future of Palestine. (ILKHA)