Students leave Gaza to continue studies, others in limbo
Two Palestinian students have left Gaza to begin studies in the Netherlands, but dozens more with Malaysian scholarships remain stuck due to bureaucratic hurdles. Gaza's education system has been almost entirely destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands without schooling.
Students find a way to safety
Amira Al-Khatib, 24, arrived in the Netherlands to start her master's degree at Radboud University. She graduated from Gaza's Al-Azhar University in 2025 with a bachelor's in computer systems engineering, studying under war conditions where internet was only available on her rooftop. She completed her graduation project with drones overhead. She chose to study data science and AI to build technology that remains reliable during humanitarian crises.
Mohammad Herzallah, 20, an engineering student, also left Gaza last week to enroll at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He had hoped to resume studies in Gaza but the situation worsened, forcing him to apply abroad despite not wanting to leave his family.
Bureaucratic obstacles
Both students received scholarships through the Gazan Student Support Network (GSSN), an Amman-based NGO established in January 2024. GSSN Executive Director Mabrookah Heneidi said bureaucratic obstacles are significant and vary by country. In the Netherlands, securing approval took over eight months and involved court cases.
For 62 other Palestinian students with Malaysian scholarships, their departure date remains uncertain. They have transit approval from Jordan but cannot leave Gaza because Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. All departures must go through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Israeli military body COGAT has not responded to requests to approve their departure.
COGAT stated that departures are subject to a third-country request and security screening, and that the vast majority of requests are approved. Since the war began, nearly 50,000 Gaza residents have left. No details were provided on the Malaysian scholarship students.
Destruction of the education system
The war was triggered by Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Most of Gaza's 88,000 university students saw their education disrupted. In April 2024, UN experts warned of the "systemic obliteration" of Gaza's education system. By November 2025, 95% of campuses had been affected: 22 out of 38 completely destroyed, 14 damaged. UNESCO estimated that about 745,000 schoolchildren and students had been out of school since October 2023.
Despite the devastation, limited in-person and online classes have resumed at Al-Azhar University and the Islamic University of Gaza. Deans say enrollment numbers appear higher than in the 2022-23 academic year, though no official census exists.
Students who never stopped learning
Ahmad Zohair Abu Daqqa, 20, continued his education during the war by searching for internet and electricity in destroyed buildings and hospital kitchens. He earned top marks in high school and completed over 15 professional online courses. He has contacted more than 200 academics and sent over 1,000 messages to universities and organizations, but no opportunities have opened yet. He still hopes for a scholarship abroad to study engineering and build his future.
