After Two Years Of Israel’s Genocide, The First University In Gaza Has Finally Reopened To Students
“The happiness of entering university was something different.”
Gaza’s Al-Azhar University has reopened and is welcoming students for the first time after two years of Israel’s genocide and destruction.
Prior to the genocide, Gaza had 51 universities and colleges serving more than 226,000 students, but more than 90% of universities and schools were attacked and left destroyed or damaged by Israeli airstrikes, shelling, burning, and demolitions, including Al-Azhar University.
Hundreds of Israeli strikes targeted schools, many of which were serving as shelters for displaced civilians, killing hundreds of people, including students and teachers.
Many campuses were destroyed or heavily damaged during the fighting, and online learning proved nearly impossible due to power outages and internet disruptions.
On Oct. 25, Al-Azhar University reopened its doors for student administration for the 2025/2026 academic year, despite visible destruction , with the registration area crowded as students arrived to enrol.
The vice president of Al-Azhar University Mohammed Shubair told Al Jazeera the university is returning to elevate education as part of the recovery from the war.
"We are staying on the land of Gaza, and we will restore its security, stability and prosperity, and this comes through science and learning," Shubair said.
“We returned with hope and determination to achieve our goals and dreams that were destroyed by the war, which deprived us of education for more than two years,” an engineering student said.
Al-Azhar University is among the first higher education institutions in Gaza to resume operations as reconstruction begins.
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