Education in Gaza Amid War: From Survival to Recovery and Renewals (Background Paper) - Round Table 4

Even before the current war, the Gaza Strip faced deep-rooted structural challenges that had shaped its educational system for nearly two decades. Since the imposition of the Israeli blockade in 2007, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, recurrent rounds of armed conflict, and chronic economic decline have constrained public investment, weakened educational infrastructure, and limited access to learning resources. These conditions contributed to persistently high poverty and unemployment rates, placing considerable pressure on the educational sector (World Bank, 2024a; PCBS, 2025). 

This phase cannot be understood in isolation from the pre-war educational reality in Gaza. Even before the war, the sector was grappling with chronic structural
challenges, manifesting in school overcrowding, a double-shift school system, and limited resources. These pressures were particularly acute in UNRWA-run schools, which served approximately 294,086 students in 284 schools across Gaza during the 2022/2023 academic year, with 71% running on a double-shift basis because of overcrowding (UNRWA, 2023).

Nevertheless, despite these prolonged constraints, Gaza achieved remarkably strong educational outcomes. Prior to the war, adult literacy exceeded 97%, enrolment in basic education was close to universal, and the territory had one of the highest rates of participation in higher education in the region, supported by 17 higher education institutions. These achievements reflected the strong societal commitment to education and the resilience of educational institutions, even under conditions of protracted conflict and economic hardship (PCBS, 2025) A recent study by Aldahdouh et al. (2026) argues that the impact of the current war on Gaza’s education system extends beyond the destruction of schools and universities. The systematic erosion of scientific capabilities, research institutions, and knowledge production has profound implications for human development and institutional continuity. It also undermines the Palestinian society’s capacity to recover and pursue sustainable economic development. This broader perspective highlights that rebuilding education is not solely a matter of reconstructing physical infrastructure but also of restoring the scientific and institutional capacities that underpin long-term recovery and resilience (ibid.).

The current war that began in October 2023 marked an unprecedented turning point in the trajectory of education in Gaza. Schools, universities, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions sustained extensive damage, accompanied by substantial human losses among students, teachers, and education sector personnel (UNESCO, 2025). 

This paper is based on an analytical review of Palestinian government reports, UN documents, and sector assessments issued by the Education Cluster1., as well as international literature on education in crises and post-conflict recovery. It also draws on field experience and practices associated with educational response during the period from October 2023 to June 2026.