Gaza’s Students Sit Exams Under Fire, Refuse to Let War Win

Despite the devastation caused by Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian high school students are refusing to let war rob them of their futures.

This weekend, approximately 1,500 students across the besieged enclave are taking their end-of-secondary school exams.

It is a critical step toward university admission and potential scholarships.

This marks the first major exam session since Israel launched its large-scale offensive on Gaza in October 2023, following Hamas’s attack in southern Israel.

Gaza’s Ministry of Education, operating under extraordinary circumstances, announced that the exams would be conducted electronically, via a specially developed online platform.

Given the destruction of most educational institutions and the constant threat of airstrikes, students are taking the exams either at home or in designated venues, depending on regional safety conditions.

In many cases, students are logging in from makeshift shelters, tents, or internet cafés, often using borrowed devices or mobile phones, relying on weak or unstable internet connections.

Speaking from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum emphasized how important the exams are to the students: “Even in a warzone, with no classrooms, no books and barely any internet, Gaza’s students are showing up, logging in, and sitting their final exam, refusing to let war erase their future.”

These exams represent more than just academic milestones.

For many students, they are a vital opportunity to resume an education that has been violently interrupted.

Thousands of students should have already begun their university journeys but remain stuck in high school due to the relentless bombardment and the collapse of the education system.

The Ministry of Education’s newly introduced digital platform is the first of its kind in Gaza.

Developed in response to wartime conditions, it enables final-year high school students to take their exams remotely, a bold attempt to salvage a semblance of academic continuity.

“We’ve made all the necessary technical preparations to ensure a smooth process,” said Morad al-Agha, director of exams for the Central Gaza Governorate.

“But students still face immense challenges, from weak internet and power shortages to psychological trauma and lack of learning materials.”

To mitigate issues with the new digital format, the ministry administered a mock test before the official exams to assess both students’ readiness and the system’s reliability.

Despite these efforts, students continue to struggle under near-impossible conditions.

“It’s extremely difficult,” said student Doha Khatab.

“We don’t have a quiet place, some of us lost our books in the bombings, and many don’t even have working devices.

“The internet is terrible, and we’re constantly afraid.”

Recognizing the confusion and stress, some teachers have reopened damaged classrooms to provide face-to-face support.

“This is all new, and many students are lost,” said teacher Enam Abu Slisa.

“We’re trying to walk them through each step, despite the risks.”

According to the United Nations, over 660,000 children in Gaza are currently out of school due to the destruction of more than 95% of the territory’s educational infrastructure.

Many former schools, particularly those operated by the UN, have been repurposed as shelters for displaced families, but even these makeshift havens are regularly targeted in Israeli attacks.

A recent report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council accused Israeli forces of systematically targeting educational institutions across Gaza, suggesting that these acts could amount to war crimes.

Despite the destruction and despair, Gaza’s students are demonstrating extraordinary resilience.

Their determination to complete their education, even in the face of military aggression and systemic collapse, stands as a powerful act of resistance.

As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, efforts like this digital exam initiative represent one of the few glimmers of hope.

It is a reminder that even in the darkest circumstances, education remains a lifeline, a means for Gaza’s youth to assert their humanity, dignity, and right to a future.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook