标签： Asia

In the shadow of Israel’s military offensive, Gaza’s education system lies in ruins, creating what experts describe as a deliberate campaign to undermine Palestinian development for generations to come. The devastating impact on students like 19-year-old Layan Abdul-Rahman illustrates the profound human cost of this educational catastrophe.

Before the conflict, Abdul-Rahman was an ambitious, English-fluent student preparing for university applications. Now, after two years of delayed education and the trauma of losing her father and multiple family members in Israeli attacks, she struggles to comprehend the possibility of continuing her studies. ‘She is mentally exhausted and constantly cries,’ her sister Israa told Middle East Eye. ‘Every day, she comes to me asking, ‘Am I really going to apply?”

The scale of destruction is staggering. UN analysis of satellite imagery reveals that 97% of Gaza’s school buildings have sustained damage, with 76.6% suffering direct hits since October 2023. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees reports that over 660,000 children are being deprived of schooling for a third consecutive year, while Palestinian officials estimate approximately 700,000 students have had their education suspended.

Those attempting to continue their education face unimaginable challenges. Sixteen-year-old Abdul-Aziz, once a diligent student, ‘no longer remembers which class he is in,’ according to family members, his priorities shifted from academics to survival. Yara Khaled, whose children attended the American International School in Gaza, describes how ‘their thinking has completely changed’—now preoccupied with basic necessities like lighting fires and finding bread for the next meal.

Amid the devastation, grassroots initiatives like Gaza Great Minds offer glimmers of hope. Founded by English teacher Ahmad Abu Rizik in May 2024 after witnessing a child scrambling for aid instead of attending school, the organization operates six of Gaza’s approximately 50 remaining schools, providing free education to some 3,000 children. These makeshift tent classrooms represent a defiant commitment to learning despite overwhelming odds.

Yet even these efforts face extreme challenges. Students arrive hungry and traumatized, parents hesitate to send children to school amid random Israeli shootings, and the organization has already lost nine pupils to the violence—including Mohammed and Dalia, killed recently while playing in the streets.

Neve Gordon, chair of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies’ Committee on Academic Freedom, characterizes Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s education system as intentional policy with far-reaching implications: ‘By decimating Gaza’s educational and intellectual infrastructure, Israel is systematically undermining the Strip’s development for years to come, much after the genocidal violence subsides.’ This systematic dismantling of education represents what many describe as a war on the very existence of the Palestinian people, with consequences that will echo through generations.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have erected a network of earth walls, known as berms, around the city of el-Fasher, effectively trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians. This siege, ongoing for over 500 days, has intensified the humanitarian crisis in the region. According to a report by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), over 31 kilometers of berms have been constructed since May 2024, encircling the capital of North Darfur. While hundreds of thousands have fled, approximately 750,000 civilians remain trapped, with 260,000, including 130,000 children, stranded in the Abu Shouk displacement camp. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the HRL, noted that civilian movement has dwindled, with many either deceased, attempting to escape, or hiding in bomb shelters. The RSF’s actions have created what the HRL describes as a ‘literal kill box,’ preventing the entry of essential supplies like food and medicine and blocking escape routes. The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has led to over 1,100 verified human rights violations in el-Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of more than 1,000 children. The RSF, accused of genocide by the US government and international human rights groups, controls much of western Sudan, with el-Fasher being a notable exception. The international community’s inaction has been criticized, with calls for the UAE, a key RSF supporter, to end the siege and allow humanitarian aid. Despite denials, evidence suggests the UAE’s involvement in supplying the RSF. The SAF’s 6th Division remains confined to a garrison surrounded by mines, while the Joint Forces maintain mobility. The siege of el-Fasher highlights a broader failure to protect civilians from atrocities, reminiscent of the Janjaweed militias’ actions in Darfur two decades ago.

In a devastating turn of events, five journalists were among the 22 individuals killed in Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip on August 25, 2025. This incident has drawn global condemnation, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issuing a statement claiming Israel “values the work of journalists.” However, the grim statistics paint a starkly different picture. The death toll of journalists in Gaza has now reached 192 over nearly two years of conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The CPJ has accused Israel of engaging in the “deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists” in its history. Palestinian journalists are reportedly being threatened, targeted, detained, and tortured by Israeli forces in retaliation for their work. This alarming trend is part of a broader historical context dating back to 1967, when Israel began its military occupation of Palestinian territories. Over the decades, Israel has systematically attempted to control and censor Palestinian journalism through legal and military measures, including the issuance of Military Order 101 in 1967, which criminalized political assembly and propagandistic publications. Despite these oppressive tactics, Palestinian journalism has persisted, with local publications flourishing in the 1980s, albeit under strict Israeli military censorship. Editors were forced to submit all content, including articles, photos, and even crossword puzzles, to Israeli censors for approval. Violations of these censorship rules often resulted in detention or deportation. The situation has escalated in recent years, with Israeli forces increasingly targeting journalists, often under the guise of combating terrorism. The international community has repeatedly called for Israel to allow independent media access to Gaza, but these requests have been consistently denied. As a result, Palestinian journalists remain the primary witnesses to the ongoing devastation in Gaza, often at great personal risk. The question now is whether the international community will hold Israel accountable for these egregious violations of press freedom and human rights.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a critical peacekeeping entity between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah, faces an uncertain future as its mandate renewal deadline of August 31 looms. Israeli pressure, US skepticism over its cost-effectiveness, and Lebanon’s fragile political landscape have raised concerns that the mission could be terminated rather than extended. Such a move would create a perilous security vacuum along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with far-reaching implications for Middle Eastern stability. The US, aiming to reduce its financial commitments to UN peacekeeping, has echoed Israeli claims that UNIFIL has been ineffective in countering Hezbollah’s threats. However, UNIFIL’s mandate has never been to disarm Hezbollah directly; instead, it focuses on supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to maintain a demilitarized zone in southern Lebanon. Israeli criticism of UNIFIL’s failure to uncover Hezbollah’s tunnel network overlooks the fact that Israeli intelligence also missed these tunnels for over a decade. Meanwhile, Lebanon has taken significant steps to curb Hezbollah’s military dominance, including expanding LAF deployments and consolidating weapons under state control. Yet, these efforts face fierce resistance from Hezbollah, as evidenced by deadly incidents like the August 9 explosion that killed six LAF troops. UNIFIL’s continued presence remains vital as a stabilizing buffer during this precarious process. Despite this, wrangling at the UN Security Council has delayed a vote on the mandate renewal, with the US being the sole holdout. France, as the penholder for the UNIFIL mandate, has proposed various options to appease the US, but divisions in Washington persist. A recent draft resolution suggested a strategic review by March 2026 to assess conditions for UNIFIL’s withdrawal, but the US insists on a firm endpoint. Israel’s strategy of delegitimizing UNIFIL, coupled with its military actions in Lebanon, further complicates the situation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conciliatory gestures toward Lebanon’s disarmament efforts risk inflaming political tensions within the country. Amid these maneuvers, UNIFIL’s role as a stabilizing force remains indispensable, and its abrupt withdrawal could escalate tensions, potentially leading to another conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.