Gaza – Public Relations: The Independent International Commission tasked with investigating the occupied Palestinian territories, in its report issued during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (A/HRC/59/2), explicitly confirmed in paragraphs 15 and 16 that there is no indication or evidence that the Israa University campus or its surroundings were used for military purposes in the period preceding its demolition. This conclusively undermines the allegations made by the occupying forces to justify targeting the educational institution and bolsters the university’s legal position.
Paragraph 15 of the report states that the 710th Combat Engineering Battalion and the 8130th Armored Battalion of the Israeli army carried out the demolition operation on 13 January 2024 under the supervision of the commander of the 99th Division, without obtaining prior legal authorization, raising serious questions about the executing forces’ compliance with international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of military necessity and proportionality.
In paragraph 16, the Commission’s independent geographic analysis found that the site where the occupying forces claimed to have discovered a tunnel linking the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital to another location does not lie within the campus of Israa University. This “mix-up of the location,” as the Commission described it, casts doubt on the retroactive justification for targeting Israa University, especially amid mounting international criticism of the Israeli military’s attacks on educational institutions and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
The administration of Israa University – Palestine condemned the continued demolition of educational facilities by the occupying forces, affirming that the complete destruction of the campus in January 2024 constitutes a documented crime against education. The university called on the international community to hold those responsible for these violations to account, to work towards rebuilding what was destroyed, and to ensure compensation for affected students and academic staff.
The university emphasized that this attack not only violates the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 but also runs counter to the 1977 Additional Protocol I, which explicitly protects civilian objects—including educational institutions—during armed conflict. Accordingly, Israa University demands the opening of an independent international investigation to hold the responsible parties accountable under international legal standards.
The university stressed that the ongoing aggression against educational institutions in Gaza is not a new phenomenon but part of a systematic policy aimed at denying the Palestinian people access to knowledge and displacing skilled professionals. It noted, however, that this policy has failed in the face of Palestinians’ resolve to continue their education and build their future despite all challenges.