Gaza Tribunal documents systematic destruction of education system

The Gaza Tribunal's final proceedings in Istanbul featured compelling testimony Friday documenting what witnesses characterized as systematic attacks on Gaza's educational infrastructure. Palestinian students, academics, and relief workers described the destruction of universities, schools, and libraries alongside the targeting of academic staff, warning of catastrophic consequences for an entire generation's education and future development.University System Destruction

Palestinian mathematician Sevjan Al-Shami detailed the complete destruction of Gaza's Islamic University, one of the first higher education institutions targeted in the conflict. "All of its buildings were destroyed," Al-Shami testified, noting the loss of a historic central library containing hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable books and manuscripts. The academic also reported numerous casualties among teaching staff and administrators, including the university president who was killed in the attacks.

Transformation of Educational Spaces

UNRWA media office director Inas Hamdan described how functioning schools have been converted into emergency refugee camps, housing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. This transformation has eliminated educational facilities while creating overcrowded humanitarian shelters, compounding the crisis facing Gaza's student population that has now missed approximately two years of formal schooling due to ongoing conflict and infrastructure destruction.

Personal Accounts and Historical Context

Journalist Mahmoud Haniyeh contrasted previous generational aspirations with current realities, stating: "When we were young, our parents wanted us to be engineers, doctors, astronauts... Today, we only want one thing. We want our children to be able to write and read." The tribunal, presided over by former UN special rapporteur Richard Falk, aims to create a comprehensive record of alleged international law violations in Gaza through expert testimony and witness accounts covering educational targeting alongside other humanitarian concerns.