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The Islamic University of Gaza welcomed students back to in-person instruction Saturday for the first time in more than two years, marking a symbolic effort to restore educational continuity in facilities bearing visible scars of extensive bombardment.
Hundreds of students filed into classrooms within partially restored buildings, some with cracked walls and structural damage, as the institution began a phased return to face-to-face learning following a prolonged suspension that forced the university to rely on limited online instruction during ongoing conflict.
The resumption comes as Gaza's education sector struggles to recover from widespread destruction. The Gaza Media Office reports that 165 schools, universities and educational institutions have been destroyed since October 2023, with another 392 sustaining partial damage.
University President Asaad Yousef Asaad described the reopening as a milestone moment despite challenging circumstances. Large numbers of students from the medical and health sciences faculties returned to campus Saturday as part of a coordinated plan with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to gradually restore full operations.
The university managed to graduate 4,000 students through remote learning during the conflict period, working around displacement, power outages and communication disruptions. The institution is now accepting new students for in-person enrollment for the first time since the war began.
"Today is a historic day. We are returning to education despite the tragedy and cruelty left behind by the genocide," Asaad told Anadolu Agency, adding that several main buildings were demolished in the fighting.
The university faces additional complications as portions of its damaged buildings currently provide shelter to hundreds of displaced families who lost their homes. School administrators have appealed to authorities for urgent assistance in finding alternative housing solutions for these residents.
According to media office projections, Gaza requires approximately 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to address shelter needs created by the conflict's infrastructural toll.
Medical students expressed both relief and pride at returning to practical, hands-on learning in their field. Malak al-Moqayad, enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine, acknowledged the building's condition but emphasized the importance of physical attendance for clinical education.
"Despite everything that happened, the university regained its strength and welcomed students again," she said. "There is a strong passion for education."
Fellow student Sama Radi echoed the sentiment of resilience. "Despite the destruction and bombings, we sit in classrooms, and I am proud of my country and my university, which managed to rise from the Israeli genocide and return stronger than before," she said.
The conflict that began in October 2023 has resulted in nearly 70,000 deaths in Gaza, predominantly women and children, according to local health authorities, with more than 170,900 people injured. Much of the enclave remains in ruins more than two years into the fighting.
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