Gaza Students Return to University Amid Destruction and Renewed Hope
Gaza students return to damaged campuses with a mix of fear and hope. Among them is 19-year-old Ahmed Totah, who walked through the rubble of the Islamic University for his first day of classes. He carried a new schoolbag and held on to a long-delayed dream of starting his university journey.
Ahmed graduated from high school with a 93 percent average. However, he earned that score under extreme pressure. Airstrikes forced him to study by the light of a candle or a phone. He said he kept going because losing education felt worse than losing anything else.
For months, university classes seemed impossible. Many buildings were destroyed, and academic life had collapsed. Therefore, when he received his results, fear overshadowed his joy. He wondered whether he would study this year or wait again.
Now enrolled in information technology, Ahmed feels a spark of hope. The destruction is everywhere, yet sitting in a classroom gives him the strength to continue.
A Return Marked by Loss and Determination
Students like Hiba Abu Nada, 21, share that feeling. She returned to her history classes after two years of online learning. Walking into a lecture hall made her believe the future is still possible, even if the room holds empty seats and damaged walls.
A few thousand students have now returned to in-person learning. The Islamic University reopened first-year programs that require practical instruction. Labs, electricity, and infrastructure remain limited, but leaders say the reopening is part of a phased recovery plan.
Al-Azhar University adopted a similar approach. Medical student Farah Deeb described the return as both shocking and uplifting. She said seeing the doors open again felt like a dream and a vital step toward rebuilding academic life.
