DaysofPal- Personal testimonies from students and graduates in the Gaza Strip reveal the profound damage inflicted on the educational sector. Beyond the destruction of physical infrastructure, the ongoing Israeli war has paralyzed the futures of thousands of young people, leaving them stranded outside both the classroom and the labor market.
Dreams Interrupted by Closed Borders
Mina al-Mashharawi completed her high school education in 2023, just before the conflict began. She secured university admission in Algeria at the University of Houari Boumediene and planned to travel in November of that year. However, the closure of border crossings trapped her inside the territory.
Mina repeatedly attempted to leave the Strip without success. She also explored enrolling in local universities, but the extensive damage to Gaza’s educational institutions made continuing her studies internally nearly impossible. Today, she has lost two years of her academic life. Under normal circumstances, she would be starting her third year of university; instead, she remains classified as a high school graduate.
Mahmoud Shamia, who graduated from Al-Aqsa University three years ago, aspired to build a career in education. The destruction of schools and universities across the region has left him unemployed and without a clear path forward.
Mahmoud notes that young people in Gaza frequently search for work outside their specialized fields, yet opportunities are virtually non-existent. Daily life is now defined by the grueling struggle to secure water and prepare food within displacement tents. Many youths visit the sea to break the monotony of their reality, but a collective sense of wasted time prevails. They feel they are aging without any real chance to work or build a foundation for the future.
The Collapse of Private Enterprises
The crisis extends to small business owners and professionals. Bodybuilder and trainer Mohanad Jassim owned a fully equipped gymnasium in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. Israeli bombardment completely destroyed his facility, which served both men and women.
Mohanad managed to salvage only a small fraction of his equipment. Reopening his business has proven impossible due to skyrocketing costs and the ban on importing new machinery. Eventually, he was forced to sell his remaining assets. This project was his family’s primary source of income, and its loss mirrors the fate of countless local businesses ruined by the conflict.
Gaza’s students and graduates face a harsh reality that threatens their long-term professional development. There is a mounting fear that these crucial years of their lives are being permanently lost. With no educational alternatives or job prospects, the gap between this generation and their goals continues to widen. These young people are now struggling simply to reclaim their basic rights to education and a dignified life.
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