Over 22 months of genocidal war, Israel has relentlessly targeted academics and cultural elites in the Gaza Strip alongside destroying vital infrastructure, in a policy the United Nations has described as “war crimes.” Ismail Thawabta, Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, stated that Israel aims through killing scientists, academics, and researchers in Gaza to “strike the intellectual and knowledge infrastructure of Palestinian society and empty it of its elite capable of leading education, research, and creativity paths.” This targeting represents a systematic policy to create a long-term scientific and cultural void, weaken institutional and national capacities, and deprive generations of accumulated expertise and knowledge. Thawabta warned of Israeli efforts to dismantle national identity, marginalize independent critical voices, and create an atmosphere of terror leading to forced brain drain, deepening societal dependency and preventing any renaissance or future reconstruction projects.

He called for urgent international action to protect Palestinian human and intellectual capital. According to Thawabta, Israel has killed about 193 scientists, professors, and researchers during the 22 months of genocide, while the latest statistics from the Gaza government office indicate around 800 teachers and educational staff killed. The article also highlights several prominent Palestinian academics and professionals killed in Israeli strikes, including university presidents, surgeons, and researchers, underscoring the devastating impact on Gaza’s intellectual and cultural fabric. Since October 7, 2023, with American support, Israel has committed genocide in Gaza involving killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international calls and International Court of Justice orders to stop. The Israeli genocide has resulted in 62,744 martyrs, 158,259 injured Palestinians, mostly children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine that killed 300 Palestinians including 117 children.