Palestinian Students Strive to Continue Education Amid Israeli Aggression and Blockade

Gaza, MINA – Palestinian students continue to struggle to pursue their higher education amid the ongoing Israeli military aggression and blockade, which have prevented educational activities in the Gaza Strip from returning to normalcy.

While some students have successfully managed to continue their studies abroad, many others remain stranded in Gaza, unable to secure the necessary permits to leave the blockaded enclave.

Among those who succeeded is Amira Al-Khatib (24), who arrived in the Netherlands last week to commence her master’s degree program at Radboud University.

“I am immensely grateful to everyone who supported me. However, leaving Gaza was one of the most difficult moments of my life,” Al-Khatib said, as quoted by Deutsche Welle (DW).

Al-Khatib graduated with a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Throughout her final two years of undergraduate studies, she had to learn under the shadow of Israeli military strikes and severely limited internet connectivity.

According to her, the rooftop of her house was the only place where she could capture a stable internet signal to complete her graduation project.

“I completed my graduation project with a drone flying over my head. I only hoped to stay alive long enough to finish that task,” she recalled.

Now, Al-Khatib is pursuing her studies in data science and artificial intelligence. She hopes that the knowledge she acquires can eventually help rebuild Gaza and support its community in times of crisis.

Another Palestinian student, Mohammad Herzallah (20), also travelled to the Netherlands to continue his education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

He expressed that prior to the Israeli aggression, he had never imagined having to leave Gaza.

However, the unrelenting military campaign and blockade forced him to choose the path of studying abroad, despite the painful reality of being separated from his family.

Both students secured their scholarships through the Gazan Student Support Network (GSSN), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Gaza students pursue higher education overseas.

Mabrookah Heneidi, Executive Director of GSSN, noted that the departure process for Palestinian students still faces numerous administrative obstacles and permit delays.

According to her, the permit application process for students travelling to the Netherlands took more than eight months to clear.

Meanwhile, 62 Palestinian students who received scholarships from Malaysia remain trapped inside Gaza to this day.

Heneidi stated that although these students have already obtained transit permits from Jordan, they are still unable to leave Gaza as they await security clearance from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

In a statement issued to DW, the Israeli military body COGAT stated that the departure of Gaza residents depends on formal requests from destination countries and subsequent security screenings conducted by Israeli authorities.

COGAT claimed that nearly 50,000 Gaza residents have left the territory since the start of the escalation for various purposes, including medical treatment, family reunification, and academic pursuits.

Nevertheless, there remains no clarity or certainty regarding the departure permits for the 62 Palestinian scholarship holders bound for Malaysia, who continue to wait to resume their higher education.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)