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Islamic University of Gaza Rebuilds After Three Years of War Devastation — AI-generated representative image. A faculty member examines salvaged scientific equipment inside a damaged university building in Gaza as academic recovery eff

Editorial Team

Students and faculty struggle to revive medical and science education amid destroyed laboratories and lost equipment

The Islamic University of Gaza, once among the leading public universities in the Palestinian enclave, is grappling with the immense challenge of restoring higher education after nearly three years of war destroyed most of its campus, laboratories, and academic resources.

Since October 8, 2023, Israeli bombing has demolished 19 educational buildings, severely damaged approximately 500 classrooms, 200 scientific laboratories, and 75 computer laboratories, and wiped out the central library's collection of more than 240,000 books, journals, and academic theses.

The destruction has hit medicine, health sciences, and engineering the hardest - disciplines that depend heavily on practical laboratory training. With equipment lost and facilities in ruins, thousands of students now face an uncertain path to completing degrees essential for Gaza's future healthcare workforce and post-war recovery.

Scale of Destruction

Abdulraouf Ali al-Manama, dean of the health sciences faculty, described the past three years as "one of the greatest disasters in the university's history." Israeli bombing destroyed most academic buildings, classrooms, research laboratories, libraries, and training clinics. The university lost thousands of scientific devices, laboratory materials, books, and resources accumulated over five decades.

An assessment by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, conducted with UNESCO, confirmed that most higher education institutions in Gaza sustained significant damage since 2023, with hundreds of specialized laboratories losing their ability to operate.

From Leading Institution to Ruins

Before the war, the Islamic University of Gaza maintained a strong reputation for practical training in medicine, health sciences, and engineering. Students spent hours in laboratories handling medical equipment, processing samples, and translating classroom theory into hands-on skills. Yassin al-Nounou, the university's laboratory coordinator, noted that new equipment including anatomy models and educational skeletons had arrived just days before the war began, intended to strengthen practical training.

The war that started on October 8, 2023, brought those plans to an abrupt halt. Campus buildings were converted into temporary shelters for displaced Palestinians. Repeated electricity and internet outages, shortages of suitable classrooms, and the psychological toll on students and staff have compounded the crisis. Even following the ceasefire that began in October 2025, students still struggle to reach training locations amid roadblocks and ongoing dangers.

Adapting Without Laboratories

With laboratories destroyed, many courses reliant on practical training can now only be taught theoretically. The university has turned to digital simulations and recorded experiments for subjects including medical microbiology, biochemistry, haematology, molecular diagnostics, medical optics, and physical therapy training. However, al-Manama stressed these are temporary fixes that cannot replace real laboratories essential for building practical skills and professional confidence.

Medical student Deema Muhaisen, whose faculty was destroyed on December 9, 2023, described receiving lectures "in hospital corners and between patient rooms, gathered around doctors, in places that did not provide the minimum requirements for an educational environment." She spent two years volunteering in emergency departments, wound care units, and surgery departments across northern and southern Gaza, eventually assisting in operating rooms and following up with patients after surgeries.

Rebuilding Efforts Underway

The university has established five branches and educational facilities across different parts of the Gaza Strip to reduce travel burdens for scattered students. It is also relying on online education, virtual simulations, restructured academic plans, and expanded field training at hospitals and local institutions. However, al-Manama acknowledged these measures remain temporary, as students still lack fully equipped laboratories.

Rebuilding requires not only repairing damaged structures but reconstructing the entire educational system, including new laboratory analysis equipment, microscopes, incubators, sterilisation devices, and specialized computers. Planning remains at a theoretical stage, contingent on securing funds and importing equipment through the ongoing siege. The university maintains its commitment to producing graduates who will be essential to Gaza's recovery.