The impact of Gaza’s genocidal war: Scholasticide, trauma, and resilience among UCAS staff

Abeer Z. Alhossary; Aya K. ElMashharawi

doi:10.56744/irchum.v4i2.87

Authors

Abeer Z. Alhossary University College of Applied Sciences
Aya K. ElMashharawi University College of Applied Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56744/irchum.v4i2.87

Keywords:

Gaza Genocidal war, Academic displacement, Scholasticide, Educide, Higher education

Abstract

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has profoundly disrupted the educational landscape, creating significant challenges for institutions such as the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS). This study examines how Israel’s war on Gaza has affected UCAS staff, with particular attention to displacement, property loss, and psychological trauma. To address this objective, the study employed a quantitative survey approach to assess the extent of material and personal losses among academic and administrative personnel. Analysis of data from 192 staff members revealed that 93% experienced displacement, 53% lost all property, and 43% lost a family member. The findings indicate that these multifaceted losses substantially strained staff members’ ability to sustain their personal lives and academic responsibilities. These patterns reflect a systematic assault characterised as scholasticide—the targeted destruction of educators, academic environments, and the structures that sustain educational continuity—and educide, defined as the systemic dismantling of institutional infrastructure and educational continuity. This dual framework highlights how the destruction extends beyond incidental damage, aiming to erase educational continuity, community resilience, and academic identity in Gaza. Despite these challenges, UCAS staff demonstrated notable resilience. The study underscores the urgent need for global action to rebuild Gaza’s educational sector and to support displaced educators.

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Author Biographies

Abeer Z. Alhossary, University College of Applied Sciences

Abeer Z. Alhossary is a researcher and lecturer at the University College of Applied Sciences, specialising in English language studies and critical discourse analysis. She is also a PhD candidate at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her academic interests include media discourse, corpus linguistics, sociopolitical communication, and identity representation in conflict narratives. She focuses on exploring language use in Middle Eastern media and its role in shaping public perception and resistance discourse.
Aya K. ElMashharawi, University College of Applied Sciences

Aya K. El Mashharawi is a lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities and Media at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza and a PhD candidate at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Her research interests include English language teaching, applied linguistics, educational technology, and teacher professional development, with a focus on learning in conflict-affected and resource-limited contexts.

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