Gaza’s Graduates Celebrate Amid Devastation of Schools and Universities

Gaza’s Class of 2025 Graduates Amid School Damage and War Trauma

In Gaza, thousands of students are marking high school graduations under extraordinary circumstances. The class of 2025 has spent the past two years navigating conflict that disrupted education, displaced families, and left many young Palestinians mourning lost relatives and classmates.

Among them is 18-year-old Doaa Musallem, who scored 99.7% and received recognition from the Palestinian Minister of Education. Her joy, however, is tempered by her father’s absence. Critically wounded in an Israeli strike in November 2023, Bassam Musallem was evacuated to Egypt for treatment, missing key moments in his daughter’s life.

Celebrating Amid Hardship

Doaa shared graduation photos with her father, showing herself and her brother in caps and gowns in front of a bright yellow “Congratulations” sign. “You are a hero,” Minister Amjad Barham told her over the phone.

Similar celebrations spread across Gaza. Families marked the occasion with fireworks, music, and desserts despite the ongoing conflict.

Mahmoud Elyan, a graduate displaced from Rafah, recalled handing out sweets in his hometown. “I am happy beyond words,” he said. “People haven’t seen desserts in two years due to war and displacement.”

Losses Shadow the Celebrations

For many graduates, the day was bittersweet. Student Doha Nazmi Abu Dalal, displaced from Deir el-Balah, was killed in an Israeli strike on October 29, 2024, along with 17 family members, weeks after the ceasefire.

UNICEF and UN experts have warned that Gaza’s education system is near collapse, citing the widespread destruction of schools and universities. Some analysts describe this as a “scholasticide,” meaning a systematic disruption of education.

Schools and Universities in Ruins

Israeli attacks have damaged or destroyed more than 97% of Gaza’s schools, UNICEF reports. Hundreds of thousands of children now have limited access to in-person learning. At least 18,591 school-age students have been killed and 27,216 injured. The war also claimed 792 teachers and injured 3,251 staff, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

Israel says Hamas uses schools and universities for military purposes, including weapons storage and command centers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintain they aim to minimize civilian harm while countering such threats.

Students Endure Online Learning and Trauma

Education continued under challenging conditions. Al-Hassan Ali Radwan, who lost a cousin during the war, described unreliable internet, electricity shortages, displacement, and food insecurity while studying online. “We had a hard time,” he said, celebrating graduation at a shelter in Khan Younis.

Dima, a central Gaza graduate, survived a minor injury during a math lesson disrupted by an Israeli strike. She stressed the importance of completing high school despite the danger. “We only get to be highschoolers once in a lifetime,” she said.

Facing Higher Education Challenges

Gaza’s 56,000 new graduates are preparing for university, though campuses remain mostly unusable. Over the past two years, 63 university buildings have been destroyed, and educational supplies are scarce. UNICEF reports that nearly 92% of educational facilities require major reconstruction.

Graduates like Mohamed Bilal Abu Faraj call for international support and access to study abroad. “Open up the border,” he said, emphasizing the challenges of continuing education locally.

Doaa Musallem hopes to study nursing abroad. The opportunity would allow her to reunite with her father and contribute meaningfully to her community.

Resilience Amid Crisis

Despite losses and trauma, Gaza’s students and families are finding moments of joy. Graduation ceremonies, small as they are, symbolize hope for a generation facing war and disrupted schooling.

“Despite the pain in Gaza, we want to be happy and move past our wounds,” said Dima’s father. “Students need to be back in classrooms as soon as possible.”

These celebrations highlight the resilience of Gaza’s youth, who continue to pursue education and achievement amid conflict.