Atieh, Palestine’s permanent representative to UNESCO, said that much of Gaza’s education infrastructure had been destroyed, depriving a generation in the region of its right to education. Atieh said 97% of schools had been completely or partially destroyed and stressed the need to rebuild educational institutions.
A UNESCO statement dated September 8 said the United Nations had confirmed attacks on 1,680 schools worldwide in 2025. The same statement said attacks on schools had increased by 33% compared with the previous year and that the “Gaza Virtual Campus” platform was being used to help students in Gaza continue their education.
Educational institutions targeted in Palestine
Atieh said the destruction of educational institutions in Palestine was the main reason for the increase. He said schools in the West Bank were also facing daily attacks by settlers and the Israeli army.
Atieh linked the destruction in Gaza to Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian people and its actions in the West Bank, arguing that targeting the education sector and cultural heritage could not be explained solely by security considerations.
Atieh said civilian infrastructure would not have been destroyed on this scale if the sole aim had been to eliminate military infrastructure. He said 80% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza had been destroyed and cited this figure as the basis for his assessment of the scope of what he described as Israel’s war.
300,000 of 800,000 students receive online education
Atieh said Gaza’s university infrastructure had also been extensively damaged and that the destruction of schools and universities amounted to eliminating future generations. He said only 300,000 of the 800,000 school-age students could access online education.
Atieh said students were trying to study in tents and among the rubble of schools without the necessary resources. He said they needed computers, desks, chairs and internet access. Atieh also argued that the entry of materials needed to rebuild schools in Gaza was not being permitted.
Atieh also said approximately 20,000 students had been killed in the attacks in Gaza and that many teachers had been killed. He said this meant that an entire generation in Gaza had lost its right to attend school.
Rebuilding Gaza requires $80 billion
Atieh said UNESCO and the Palestinian government were working with their international partners to partially restore the education system, adding that current conditions prevented students from accessing regular education.
Atieh said rebuilding all the destroyed schools and universities in Gaza would cost approximately $5 billion. He said rebuilding Gaza as a whole would require $80 billion, adding that these figures demonstrated the scale of the destruction.
Atieh’s assessment of the 2008 attack
Atieh alleged that Israel’s 2008 attack on Gaza was carried out as students were leaving school. He argued that children had been targeted on the grounds that they were associated with future resistance, and claimed that depriving Palestinians of education was a policy aimed at weakening the future of the Palestinian people.
Atieh said Palestinians and United Nations special rapporteurs had described the heavy destruction in Gaza since October 2023. He said the documentary “NAZA,” which focuses on developments in the region, was important for reminding the international public of the situation.
Atieh also argued that Israel was trying to leave responsibility for reconstruction to the international community without covering the cost of the destruction. He said the international community needed to address what Israel’s responsibility should be in the reconstruction process.
