GENEVA, (PIC)
The Euro- Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said in a statement on Sunday that it documented the killing of 94 Palestinian university professors, along with hundreds of teachers and thousands of students, as part of the comprehensive genocide committed by the Israeli army in Gaza since October 7th of last year.
The Euro-Med explained that the Israeli army, among its thousands of airstrikes on Gaza, deliberately and specifically targeted academic, intellectual, and scientific figures in Gaza. Dozens of them were killed in direct strikes on their homes without prior warning and crushed under the rubble with their families or with other displaced families.
The preliminary data on the targeting operations indicate the absence of any clear justification or objective behind targeting these individuals.
The Euro-Med monitor listed 17 professors, 59 Ph.D. holders, and 18 master’s degree holders among those targeted, confirming that this toll is not final. There are estimates of other academics and higher degree holders who have not been counted yet due to documentation difficulties caused by restricted movement, communication interruptions, and the presence of thousands of missing individuals who have not been accounted for.
The targeted academics, killed by Israeli forces, represent various fields of knowledge, with the majority serving in academic institutions in Gaza.
The Monitor emphasized that Israel deliberately destroyed all universities in Gaza in stages, starting with the initial phase targeting buildings in the Islamic University and Al-Azhar University. The destruction then extended to other universities, culminating in the detonation and complete demolition of others after converting them into military barracks. This occurred in Al-Quds University in southern Gaza, which was turned into a military base and temporary detention center before being blown up by the Israeli army, as documented in a video released by Israeli media on January 17th, 70 days after its conversion.
The Euro-Med noted that the initial estimates also indicate the death of hundreds of university students due to ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The destruction of universities and the killing of academics and students will make it more challenging to resume academic and university life after the attacks, as it may take years for universities to resume studies in a completely devastated environment.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, 4,327 students were killed, and 7,819 others were injured. Additionally, 231 teachers and administrators were killed, and 756 were injured with various injuries.
It pointed out that 281 government schools and 65 schools affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were subjected to total or partial destruction in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli targeting of schools affected 90% of government school buildings, suffering direct and indirect damage. About 29% of school buildings are not operable due to complete demolition or severe damage. Furthermore, 133 government schools are being used as shelters in Gaza.
The Euro-Med stressed that Israel’s military attack, characterized by widespread and deliberate destruction of cultural and historical properties, such as universities, schools, libraries, and archives, is part of Israel’s declared policies to make Gaza uninhabitable, creating a coercive environment devoid of the minimum essentials of life and services, which may eventually force its residents to migrate.
