Bittersweet Graduations: Gaza’s Class of 2025 Marks Milestone amid Devastation

Bittersweet Graduations in Gaza

Doaa Musallem earned the top score in Gaza this year — 99.7% — and received a congratulatory call from the Palestinian Minister of Education. Yet her joy was tempered by absence: her father, critically wounded by shrapnel in November 2023, remains in Egypt for medical care and could not attend her celebration.

Like roughly 56,000 students in Gaza’s class of 2025, Doaa spent much of her final two high-school years studying amid conflict and displacement. As exam results were released, small, bright moments spread across the enclave: fireworks, songs and gatherings as families and communities marked a rare milestone after two years of war.

Celebration and Loss

For some, the day underscored profound loss. Doha Nazmi Abu Dalal, a displaced student with a near-perfect GPA, was killed less than a month before results were announced, along with 17 family members in an attack on October 29, according to hospital authorities. Many graduates, like Doaa, carry memories of injured or absent relatives and classmates who did not survive the violence.

“Our happiness is incomplete because our supporter and the pillar of the house is not here,” Doaa told CNN, referring to her father.

Damage to Education

Humanitarian agencies and local authorities say Gaza’s formal education system has been devastated. According to UNICEF and the Palestinian education ministry, more than 97% of schools have been damaged or destroyed, at least 63 university buildings have been completely destroyed, and nearly 92% of education facilities will require full reconstruction or major rehabilitation. The education ministry also reports that tens of thousands of students and hundreds of education staff have been killed or injured since October 2023.

UN experts have raised concerns about the systematic impacts on schooling, using the term "scholasticide" to describe the scale of the destruction. Israeli officials have repeatedly said they aim to minimize civilian harm and accuse Hamas of using civilian infrastructure for military purposes; the Israeli military told media it seeks to limit civilian casualties while addressing security threats.

Students’ Voices

Graduates described major obstacles to learning: intermittent electricity, poor internet, displacement, shortages of food and basic supplies, and the loss of study partners and teachers. Mahmoud Elyan, displaced from Rafah, celebrated by handing out desserts in a crowded shop. Al-Hassan Ali Radwan recounted losing his cousin and struggling with online classes. Dima, who suffered minor injuries from a strike that interrupted a private math lesson, said she briefly stopped studying out of fear but ultimately returned to finish high school.

With local campuses largely unusable and resources scarce, many graduates and families urged international pathways: scholarships, study-abroad opportunities and humanitarian support to rebuild schools rather than relying solely on fragile online options.

Looking Ahead

Despite trauma and loss, graduates expressed determination and hope. Doaa said her father's injury inspired her to pursue nursing, and she hopes to continue higher education abroad and reunite with her family. As Gaza’s communities mark this milestone, education advocates stress the urgent need to restore safe, in-person learning and to open pathways for students whose classrooms have been destroyed.

Reporting contributions credited to CNN correspondents; figures cited are from UNICEF and the Palestinian education ministry.