1000 Days of Aggression: Occupation Eradicates Educational Infrastructure in Gaza, Depriving 700,000 Students of Education

With 1,000 days having passed since the continuous Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the features of a systematic genocide targeting the educational infrastructure completely have emerged. Recent investigative reports, based on UN satellite data, revealed the transformation of academic institutions into direct military targets as part of a policy aimed at dismantling the basic elements of life for Palestinians.

Documented digital data up to the end of June 2026 showed an unprecedented scale of destruction, with 529 educational facilities across the Strip being targeted. This damage was distributed between the complete destruction of 247 buildings and partial damage to 282 other facilities, depriving thousands of students of their safe educational environment.

Gaza City topped the list of the most affected areas, where the Israeli war machine completely crushed 72 schools and 7 universities. Additionally, 119 schools and 7 additional universities in the city suffered severe partial damage, making the resumption of the educational process there currently impossible.

In the northern part of the Strip, the situation was no less tragic, as 55 schools and universities were completely out of service due to direct shelling. In addition, 40 other schools were partially damaged, reflecting the occupation's insistence on eliminating educational institutions in the northern areas that were subjected to a suffocating siege.

The city of Khan Yunis in the southern part of the Strip witnessed widespread destruction affecting 80 schools and universities completely, while 64 other educational facilities were partially damaged. These figures confirm that the targeting was not random, but included all vital centers serving the high population density in the south.

In Rafah, military operations led to the complete erasure of 24 schools and universities from the educational map, in addition to the damage of 40 other institutions. In the central region, specifically in Deir al-Balah, the occupation completely destroyed 7 schools, while partial destruction affected 15 schools and two universities.

According to the methodology used in classifying damages, completely destroyed buildings are those that have completely collapsed or reached a stage requiring demolition and reconstruction. As for facilities classified as partially damaged, they are those that suffered significant structural blows but are still standing, requiring extensive and complex renovation operations.

The crisis goes beyond merely demolishing walls, as 179 educational facilities are currently located within Israeli military control areas known as the 'Yellow Line'. This military positioning prevents any attempts to assess damages or begin renovation operations for the buildings that are still standing, thus hindering students' return to them.

Reports indicate that 122 educational facilities were completely destroyed after falling under the control of occupation forces, suggesting deliberate destruction after the cessation of combat operations there. The presence of 57 partially damaged facilities within these areas also makes their utilization impossible under the imposed military cordon.

The continued captivity of educational institutions to the Israeli military presence poses enormous challenges to the future of Palestinian generations in Gaza. Any international reconstruction efforts will clash with the field reality imposed by the occupation, prolonging educational deprivation for many years to come.

The aggression did not stop at destroying stones, but also changed the function of the remaining schools to become emergency shelters for hundreds of thousands of displaced people. With Palestinians losing their homes, the remaining classrooms became the only refuge for families, leading to the complete cessation of the educational system's operational capacity.

Official sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed that 100% of schools suffered varying material damages as a result of direct and indirect shelling. The sources clarified that 81% of school buildings in the Strip are in urgent need of comprehensive reconstruction or major rehabilitation operations before they can be used again.

On the human level, the toll was very heavy, as the war claimed the lives of more than 20,000 male and female students at various educational stages. Additionally, about 19,800 students were forced to leave the Strip in search of safety or to complete their education abroad, amid the collapse of the local system.

The statistics conclude a grim picture of more than 620,000 school students and 90,000 university students being deprived of their basic right to education. This forced interruption threatens the loss of an entire generation's future, as the occupation continues to target 17 higher education institutions and destroy them completely or partially.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 20,000 students, and deprived more than 700,000 others of continuing their school and university education.