A Gaza student’s battle for survival amid Israel’s war on education

Not too long ago, Amir Al-Arja’s future was filled with hope and promise.

Inspired by his father, the young Palestinian in Gaza dreamt of becoming a computer engineer, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the man who had shaped his ambition.

“I had just finished high school and entered university. My dream was to become an engineer, like my father. I promised him I would achieve this goal,” Amir, 21, recalls.

Then the bombs started falling.

A year since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza, Amir’s dreams lie in ruins – just like the devastated besieged enclave, once the throbbing Palestinian homeland, now the graveyard of nearly 43,000 people.

Amir’s world came crashing down in the eleventh month of the Gaza war.

His father’s health deteriorated under the strain of multiple displacements and the burden of watching their lives crumble. Finally, the siege’s punishing conditions claimed his life a month ago.

“My father died from heart complications. He couldn’t bear the cruelty of being displaced, of watching our lives fall apart,” Amir tells TRT World over the phone, his voice heavy with loss.

Now, he carries the responsibility of his family of 11, struggling to support them amid the war that has heaped heart-wrenching misery on civilians, mostly women and children.

Dreams stifled

Amir’s story reflects the experiences of thousands of young Palestinians in Gaza, caught in a cycle of violence and deprivation.

The destruction of education infrastructure in Gaza, described as scholasticide, is a testament to how Israel’s war has aimed at the very foundations of opportunity and progress.

Education is protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and upheld even during wartime by the Fourth Geneva Convention. Yet, in Gaza, schooling has become a casualty of war.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has bombed all 11 universities in the enclave, leaving around 90,000 students without access to education. Once symbols of opportunity, these institutions now lie in ruins, as do the futures they represented.

According to findings of the Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP), the destruction has affected major institutions, including Al-Azhar University, the Al-Aqsa University and the Islamic University of Gaza, the one Amir was studying.

Amir completed four semesters before his university was destroyed in the early months of the war, along with hopes for a better future, he says.

Beyond universities, at least 386 schools have also been damaged or destroyed, denying 620,000 students their right to learn.

The toll is staggering. Thousands have lost not just their education but their lives. At least 5,213 students have been killed, and more than 8,691 injured.

By dismantling schools and universities, the Israeli attacks cripple future generations, robbing them of the tools needed to rebuild and strengthen their communities.

For Amir, whose hope rests on completing his studies, this violence feels deeply personal.

“...The war has stolen my chance. All the universities in Gaza were destroyed, and our lives have become so difficult in this displacement.”

The assault on education in Gaza extends beyond the classroom walls.

According to the SAWP, 239 teachers have been killed and another 707 injured.

Libraries have been obliterated, with eight public and four university libraries reduced to rubble, erasing priceless resources meant to shape the next generation.

Flicker of hope amid hardship

For Amir, life now revolves around survival as his family faces unimaginable daily struggles.

The Arjas used to live in eastern Rafah, but with the start of the war, they were forced to move three times, first to shelter schools and eventually ending up in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

His mother, battling high blood pressure and chronic pain, does her best to care for them while Amir’s 10-year-old twin brothers grapple with the loss of their home and sense of security.

“They’re too young to understand why everything we had has been taken away,” he says.

Amir’s father, Jamal, was the family's sole provider. He passed away on September 3, at the age of 60, leaving a huge gap in their lives.

Amir’s older brothers, both married with children, also find themselves trapped in Gaza’s escalating crisis, unable to support their own families.

“My older siblings are graduates, yet they couldn’t find work due to the severe unemployment.”

Winter adds to their hardship. “We can’t afford basic necessities like milk, diapers, or even warm clothes,” Amir explains.

When Amir’s brother finally welcomed his new baby boy, they named him after their father, Jamal.

“He came to us in harsh circumstances, in a place where the minimum necessities of life are not available.”

But despite these struggles, he remains determined, holding on to the dream he once shared with his father.

“I don’t ask for much for myself,” Amir says quietly. “All I want is to complete my studies and fulfil my father’s dream of becoming an engineer.”

As the war continues to claim futures and lives, Amir’s dream still flickers in the background.

In Gaza, where students fight for survival, they also fight for a future where they can rebuild their lives and communities—and one day, regain the education they deserve.