UN alarmed over 'scholasticide' as Israel obliterates 80% of Gaza schools

UN experts have expressed grave concern over a pattern of attacks that have severely damaged or destroyed more than 80% of schools and universities in besieged Gaza, terming the widespread destruction a potential act of 'scholasticide.'

In a new UN report on Thursday, a battery of experts raised serious alarm over the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system.

The ongoing Israeli military invasion has led to the deaths of thousands of students and educators, and the decimation of key cultural heritage sites.

The Israeli army has destroyed or damaged all 12 universities in the blockaded enclave by means of air strikes or bombs. The demolition of Gaza's last remaining university on January 17, 2024, marked not just the fall of a building, but the collapse of a sanctuary for scholars.

The destruction is so thorough that the UN experts, seasoned in their exposure to global conflict zones, pause and wonder aloud if the term "scholasticide" — the intentional obliteration of an education system — might be the only term grave enough to encapsulate this tragedy.

Carrying the trauma

Across Gaza, more than 80 percent of educational institutions bear the scars of Israeli bombs or have been wiped off the map entirely.

The relentless military invasion over the past six months has left deep wounds: over 5,479 students, 261 teachers, and 95 university professors dead.

The attacks have not spared even those displaced by war, seeking refuge in UN schools designated as "safe zones," now also targeted, leading to staggering, heartbreaking losses.

The casualties extend beyond the immediate violence. With over 625,000 students deprived of their classrooms, the educational vacuum threatens to suck a generation into despair.

For many, the school was more than a place of learning; it was a haven from the harsh realities outside its walls. Now, with schools shattered, over a million children need mental health and psychosocial support, carrying the trauma that might never fully heal.

Cultural annihilation

But the assault is not merely on present learning — it is an assault on the heritage of an entire people.

Libraries, housing centuries of Palestinian history, lay in ruins. The Central Archives of Gaza, a treasure trove of 150 years of documentation, is no more.

Heritage sites, mosques, and churches that stood as testaments to a rich and unique cultural history have been damaged or destroyed.

The cultural annihilation runs parallel to the educational destruction, each brick fallen, a story lost, a piece of identity erased.

"Attacks on education cannot be tolerated. The international community must send a clear message that those who target schools and universities will be held responsible," the UN experts said, noting that accountability for these violations includes an obligation to finance and rebuild the education system.

"We owe it to the children of Gaza to uphold their right to education and pave the way for a more peaceful and just future."