(MENAFN) At the concluding session of the Gaza Tribunal in Istanbul, witnesses recounted harrowing accounts of the targeted destruction of schools, universities, and intellectual resources within the Palestinian territory. The testimonies painted a picture of attacks that extend beyond incidental damage, raising concerns about the emergence of a lost generation.

Palestinian mother Asmaa Albatash shared the immediate impact on children’s education: "They started bombing and targeting schools. Even if the war ended, it would be very difficult to return to schools," she said.

A relief worker, Nabeel Jumah, emphasized the intentional nature of the assaults on education, stating that the attacks aimed directly at "the minds and Palestinian competencies."

Palestinian mathematician Sevjan Al-Shami spoke of the devastation inflicted on Gaza’s leading higher education institutions. "The Islamic University is one of the first universities targeted by the occupation. All of its buildings were destroyed. Only the missiles hit the building. There is a very old central library in the university. It contains hundreds of thousands of books. All of it was destroyed.
Academic staff was also targeted in the university. One of them was the head of the university. He was martyred. Many of the teaching staff and administrators were also martyred," Al-Shami explained.

Journalists also shared personal experiences of loss. One noted the disappearance of research materials and academic records, saying he had lost his books, certificates, and academic papers.

Another journalist, Mahmoud Haniyeh, highlighted the long-term generational impact: "When we were young, our parents wanted us to be engineers, doctors, astronauts ... Today, we only want one thing. We want our children to be able to write and read. They should be able to write their name and read."

Academic and journalist Fidaa Al-Madhoun reflected on the human consequences of the attacks: "There was a student named Fatima Ahmed ... She told me that there was a lot of violence around us ... I reassured her. Imagine, the next day ... she had been martyred."

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