THE WAR ON

EDUCATION IN
GAZA
Jonah Sanders
ART ICL E :
T HE WAR IN GAZ A IS W IP ING
OUT PAL E S T INE ’S
E DUCAT ION AND
KNOW L E DGE S YST E M S

The Fall of Al-Israa University

Scholasticide

The ICJ

Colonialism in Gaza

Resistance

The War on Education in Gaza 2

INTRODUCTION

Last month saw the destruction of the final standing university

in Gaza, Al-Israa University. This caps off a dedicated effort
over the past four months to destroy each of the 12
universities in the country. There is no school open in Gaza.
There are no universities that have gone undamaged in the
over 100+ day assault on the nation.

The War on Education in Gaza 3

SOME
STATISTICS
PRESENTATION TITLE 5
“HE WHO STEALS LAND DOES NOT
SURPRISE US BY STEALING A
LIBRARY. HE WHO KILLS THOUSANDS
OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS DOES NOT
SURPRISE US BY KILLING PAINTINGS.”

Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet, 1982

The War on Education in Gaza 6

 SCHOLASTICIDE

WHERE DOES IT WHAT DOES IT IS THIS WHAT IS

COME FROM? MEAN? HAPPENING?

Coined by Oxford professor Scholasticide describes the Let’s Take a look.

Karma Nabulsi during a prior
Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in
2008-2009.
systematic destruction of
institutions of education and
assassination of prominent
educators with the goal of
intentionally destroying cultural
heritage.

The War On Education in Gaza 7

Destruction of Gaza City
Complete destruction from direct shelling, causing a fire
Hall (Reported Nov. 29)
which fully destroyed the archives. The archives contained
150 years of records pertaining to Gaza’s history.

Destruction of Omari Mosque

and Library (Dec. 8) Mosque was completely destroyed, likely including the
library. The mosque was built in the 7th century, and contained
one of the most significant collections of rare books in
Palestine, including works dating to the 14 th century.
Diana Tamari Sabbagh
Complete destruction by Israeli shelling, including the
Library (Nov. 25)
destruction of tens of thousands of books in the Tamari
Sabbagh Library. The building had been sheltering hundreds
of displaced Palestinians
Rafah Museum (Early Complete destruction by airstrikes.
October)

I N C O M P L E T E L I S T O F N O TA B L E
D E S T R O Y E D E D U C AT I O N I N S T I T U T I O N S

The War on Education in Gaza 8

ICJ LANDMARK RULING
What is the ICJ?
The ICJ serves as the judicial branch for the
United Nations and serves to settle legal
disputes on international law submitted by
member states, as well as give advisory
opinions on legal matters to UN member states
and UN agencies.
The War on Education in Gaza
What did they rule?
South Africa won “provisional measures”
equating to a temporary injunction that Israel
must take proactive steps to ensure genocide
doesn’t occur while the broader case is pending
but declined to order an immediate cease-fire.
9
PALESTINIAN
FUTURES
PALESTINE’S RICH ANTI-
COLONIAL TRADITION

The War on Education in Palestine 11

 SUMMARY

There is no solution that will bring back the wealth of

information that was lost. There is no ending to this story where
the needless loss of life is somehow replaced. When you hear
“Ceasefire Now” as a rallying cry, it is a call for a protection of
an entire history that is on the brink of eradication. Today’s
article was immensely painful- tomorrows doesn’t have to be.

The War on Education in Gaza 12

FREE PALESTINE
Thank you

Jonah Sanders

https://theconversation.com/the-war-in-gaza-is-wiping-out-
palestines-education-and-knowledge-systems-222055

The War on Education in Gaza 13

ADDITIONAL
SOURCES
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/24/how-is
rael-has-destroyed-gazas-schools-and-universities
#:%7E:text=Palestinian%20news%20agency%20W
afa%20reported,university%20in%20Gaza%20in%
20stages
.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/10/g
aza-schools

https://librarianswithpalestine.org/gaza-report-202
4/ The War on Education in Gaza 14