Gaza Students Face Third Year Without Schooling as 90% of Educational Institutions Destroyed

Gaza Students Face Third Year Without Schooling as 90% of Educational Institutions Destroyed
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As the new academic year begins, nearly 660,000 children in Gaza remain out of school for the third consecutive year, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). A report by the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry states that over 90% of Gaza’s schools and university buildings have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

Commission Chair Navi Pillay warned that Israel’s actions appear to form a systematic campaign to erase Palestinian life in Gaza, with long-term damage to education, culture, and religious identity. The report also documented cases of Israeli forces using educational facilities for military purposes, including converting part of Al-Azhar University’s campus into a synagogue for troops.

In southern Lebanon, a joint report by the World Bank and Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research estimated $151 million in education sector damages due to border conflicts. Some schools have reopened, but ongoing security concerns hinder full attendance.