Scholasticide in Gaza
➡️ SCHOLASTICIDE IN GAZA - Urgent Appeal by Gaza Academics to the World
Scholasticide is the systematic and deliberate attempt to eliminate universities, their infrastructure, faculty, students, and the entire education system in a specific region. The suppression of knowledge cripples a community's future by denying them the tools of learning and critical thought. Those that do survive are left vulnerable and powerless, with no means to rebuild and resist.
Israel has a history of targeting the Palestinian education system, however, a serious escalation of attacks in the recent conflict amounts to an attempt at total annihilation.
Under international humanitarian law, schools and educational institutions are to be protected from the onslaught of war. Students in Gaza have lost almost 3 years of schooling in the last 5 years due to Covid-19 and the ongoing war.
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Appeal by Gaza Academics
In 2024, a group of prominent academics from Gaza formally established the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza. It brought together three institutions and numerous colleges, gaining the support of 85% of Gaza universities' students. Their goal was to resist the erasure of universities in Gaza, create a unified voice, and offer channels for support to all those impacted by the scholasticide.
Despite the physical obliteration of Gaza's universities, teachers and professors remain committed to the future of education in Palestine, even in the most unimaginable conditions.
Classes and lectures are taught under relentless bombardment, without a meal in days, plagued with electricity blackouts and internet restrictions and under the constant shadow of genocide.
The presidents of Gaza's three non-profit universities - Al-Aqsa University, Al-Azhar University-Gaza, and the Islamic University of Gaza in July 2025 issued a statement to the international academic community in an open letter (Al Jazeera).
"Israel's ongoing genocidal war has brought about scholasticide—a systematic and deliberate attempt to eliminate our universities, their infrastructure, faculty, and students. This destruction is not collateral; it is part of a targeted effort to eradicate the foundations of higher education in Gaza—foundations that have long stood as pillars of resilience, hope, and intellectual freedom under conditions of occupation and siege."
The letter urgently calls for a lasting ceasefire, the immediate mobilisation of support and protection of Gaza's higher education systems, recognition of the use of scholasticide by Israel as part of their ethnic cleansing programme, and practical, enduring support from the international community.
Educide & Scholasticide
The goal of educide is often to suppress the intellectual and cultural development of a targeted group, thereby limiting their ability to advance and participate fully in society. This form of oppression has long-lasting detrimental effects on the affected community.
It differs from scholasticide in that it broadly encompasses any deliberate actions aimed at dismantling or crippling all forms of education. Scholasticide refers specifically to the destruction of formal schooling and academic institutions.
What Role Can Teachers & Professors Play?
Teachers and professors have been direct targets in Israel's war on Gaza. By targeting educators, the intellectual foundation and leadership within a community are destroyed. Instances of intimidation, interrogation, persecution, and violence against teachers and professors aim to silence educators and disrupt the transmission of knowledge.
As of January 2024, the Israeli army has killed 94 university professors, hundreds of teachers and thousands of students. All schools in Gaza are now shut. No university survived more than 100 days after the ground invasion began.
Educators are instrumental in the resistance to scholasticide and the recovery from such widespread devastation. Their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to educating the people of Gaza are essential in maintaining the cultural and intellectual continuity of Palestinian society.
Resilient education in Gaza cannot be built without a permanent ceasefire, huge humanitarian support, and the backing of the international community. We must prioritise Palestinian autonomy, culture, and protecting the right to education that every child and young person deserves.
Expert input welcome.
Author: Rachael Mellor, 30.07.25 licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0
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