Once a thriving campus for 17,000 students, Gaza’s Islamic University now shelters displaced families amid war devastation.

Jerusalem

The U.S brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages.

Middle East Conflict

The Islamic University of Gaza, previously a hub for students and education, has been devastated by recent conflict. The campus, now unrecognizable, is being used as a shelter by hundreds of displaced families who have lost their homes. 

Conditions are dire, with limited access to water and no electricity. The destruction of the university is seen by many as a symbolic blow to the region’s education system, impacting an entire generation. Despite the devastation, those sheltering in the ruins continue to hope for a return to normalcy.

Gaza’s Islamic University reduced to ruins

The Islamic University of Gaza, a place once filled with students, learning and life, now bears the scars of war. What used to be a symbol of knowledge has become a refuge for those with nothing left. Families have put up makeshift tents, clinging to the hope that one day they will return home. We were staying here before it was bombed. My children were still inside when the strikes hit. We fled south, but our homes are destroyed. We've come back because there's nowhere else to go. Umm Thayir Al-Kafarna's family is one of hundreds sheltering in the ruins of the buildings. The classrooms and lecture halls, unrecognizable. This place we are staying at is supposed to be for students to study in, for students to continue their education. But now they no longer have any place to study. It is not even suitable for shelter, but we have nowhere else to go. Water is scarce and electricity is non-existent. For many here, the destruction of the university feels symbolic, a blow not just to buildings but to an entire generation. The educational institutions have been most affected by this war because all the universities were targeted. These buildings that you can see were all hit in order to obliterate the education system. Where students once dreamed of the future, displaced families are battling to survive. The Islamic University of Gaza, once a place of learning, now stands as a testament to loss, but also to resilience. Hamza Mohammed, Al Jazeera.

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Gaza’s Islamic University reduced to ruins

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