Students leave Gaza to continue studies, others in limbo
More than three school years since the start of Israel's war in Gaza, more Palestinian students are restarting studies at universities abroad. Education has yet
More than three school years since the start of Israel's war in Gaza, more Palestinian students are restarting studies at universities abroad. Education has yet to return to normal, as schools expand online teaching. When 24-year-old Amira Al-Khatib arrived in the Netherlands from Gaza last week to begin her master's degree at Radboud University, the joy of finally reaching safety and the sorrow of leaving home collided. "I am so grateful to everyone who supported me and yet, leaving Gaza was one of the hardest moments I have ever experienced," she told DW from her new home in the town of Nijmegen. Al-Khatib graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer systems engineering from Gaza's Al-Azhar University in 2025. "For the past two years, I studied in an environment where internet connectivity could not be taken for granted," she said. The only place where she could get an internet signal was on the roof of her house. "I completed my graduation project with drones flying overhead, placing my hand over my heart every few minutes, hoping I would survive long enough to finish it," she recalled. "Engineers who have experienced war understand, perhaps better than anyone else, what our communities actually need," she said. "That's why I chose to continue my education in data science and artificial intelligence. My dream is to help build technological systems that remain reliable even during humanitarian crises and emergencies." Palestinian student Amira Al-Khatib received an international scholarship to leave Gaza and study in the Netherlands Image: Amira Al-Khatib, privat Mohammad Herzallah, a 20-year-old engineering student, also left Gaza last Monday to enroll at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. "Before the war, I never imagined leaving Gaza," he told DW. "When bombs were falling, I stopped thinking about studies or my career," he said.
He had hoped to resume studies in Gaza after the war. "But the situation only worsened, so I applied abroad even though I did not want to leave my family." Students face many 'bureaucratic obstacles' Both students received scholarships through the Gazan Student Support Network (GSSN), an Amman-based NGO established in January 2024 to help students from Gaza continue their higher education. "There are so many bureaucratic obstacles, and every country has its own challenges," said GSSN Executive Director Mabrookah Heneidi. In the Netherlands, for example, securing approval for the students took over eight months and involved court cases brought by universities. For 62 other Palestinian students with Malaysian scholarships, their date of departure remains uncertain. "They have obtained transit approval from Jordan but cannot leave Gaza because Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel," said Heneidi. She explained that all student departures must pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Gaza's border with Israel. So far, however, the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza, COGAT, has not responded to requests to approve the students' departure. Damaged during the war, the Islamic University in Gaza City now offers limited in-person classes and online courses for students Image: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP When asked by DW, COGAT's spokespeople said in a written statement that "the departure of residents from the Gaza Strip is subject to the submission of a request by a third country willing to receive the individual, as well as the completion of the required security screening by the competent Israeli authorities. The vast majority of requests submitted are approved." In their statement, COGAT added that since the beginning of the war nearly 50,000 Gaza Strip residents have departed for third countries for various reasons, including medical treatment, foreign citizenship, residency visas, and academic studies.
The BriefWire