Israel's devastation of Gaza's education system is so complete that UN experts have been compelled to consider whether the term 'scholasticide'— deliberate destruction of an education system — adequately captures magnitude of the tragedy.Palestinian children deprived of their right to education by Israel attend classes at tent school in Rafah, Gaza on April 15, 2024. / Photo: AA
The ongoing Israeli military invasion has led to the deaths of thousands of students and educators, and the decimation of key cultural heritage sites. UN experts express "grave concern" over Israel's "scholasticide" -- "the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers, and students in the Gaza Strip, raising serious alarm over the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system."
The attacks have not spared even those displaced by war, seeking refuge in UN schools designated as"safe zones," now also targeted, leading to staggering, heartbreaking losses. Libraries, housing centuries of Palestinian history, lay in ruins. The Central Archives of Gaza, a treasure trove of 150 years of documentation, is no more.