“We built these universities from tents. And from tents, with the support of our friends, we will rebuild them once again.”
Call by Gaza Academics and Administrators to the World, 29 May 2024
11 July 2024
Here are some of Gaza’s key universities that the Israeli genocidal regime has destroyed.
Al-Israa University
Gaza’s youngest university was established in 2014 in Gaza city. It was scheduled to mark its 10th anniversary this year with the opening of a public museum on Palestinian history and culture.
Its main building was occupied for 70 days by Israeli soldiers and then destroyed by explosives on 18 January 2024.
Al-Azhar University
The University was established in 1991, located south of Gaza city, it offers 76 bachelor’s programs, 26 master’s programs, and doctoral programs.
On 6 November, Israeli air forces bombed the university campus
There were 16,000 students studying at the university.
Al-Aqsa University
Al-Aqsa University began in 1955 as a teachers’ institute under the administration of the Egyptian government. In 1991, the institute developed into a college known as the Governmental College of Education. At the beginning of the 2000/2001 academic year, the college was transformed into Al-Aqsa University.
On 22 January, Israeli forces shelled Al-Aqsa University, which at the time was a shelter for displaced people.
Islamic University of Gaza
Gaza’s oldest university, the Islamic University of Gaza was founded in 1978.
By 2023, it had more than 17,000 students.
Israeli forces destroyed the campus on the night of 10 October 2023.
Among the university buildings that were targeted was the National Museum, which contains about 3,000 artifacts that were looted and blown up.
University of Palestine
The University of Palestine was established in 2005 in the south of Gaza City, as a Palestinian private institution for higher education. It has been used to shelter displaced families during the genocide war.
On 17 January 2024, Israel detonated more than 300 mines at the university.
Al-Quds Open University
Al-Quds Open University was established in 1991, and was the first open learning institute in Palestine. It has branches in Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah and Jabalia, it had 60,000 students studying across 19 branches and centres throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, making it the biggest non-campus university in Palestine.
Israeli forces turned university buildings into military barracks, before bombing the Gaza branch on 15 November 2023.
University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS)
The University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) was founded in 1998. Its main campus is in Gaza City and 8,500 students were enrolled in 2023.
It included a donor-funded non-profit start-up incubator that supported entrepreneurs in the Gaza Strip and helped aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses.
On 22 January 2024, Israeli forces shelled UCAS. At the time, the university was sheltering displaced Palestinian families.
To support Gaza Universities: https://www.gazauniversities.org/