More than 200 medical students graduate in Gaza amid two years of war

More than 200 medical students in Gaza marked their graduation this week amid the continuing war, holding a modest ceremony against the backdrop of destroyed health infrastructure, according to reports. 

Wearing white coats, the graduates posed near the ruins of what was once Gaza’s largest medical facility, the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, a setting that reflected the extraordinary conditions under which they completed their studies.

The ceremony reportedly took place after nearly two years of sustained conflict, during which students faced constant displacement, insecurity, and interruptions to education. Many completed their final years while hospitals and universities were repeatedly targeted, often studying while volunteering in overwhelmed medical wards.

As per the United Nations, all universities in Gaza have been either completely destroyed or severely damaged during the war, leaving students without campuses, laboratories, or formal classrooms. Medical education, according to reports, continued in improvised settings, hospital corridors, and temporary shelters.

International health agencies have also raised alarms about the broader collapse of Gaza’s health system. The World Health Organization has documented hundreds of attacks on health care facilities and ambulances since October 2023, resulting in large numbers of deaths and injuries among patients and medical workers. Reports further indicate that hundreds of health care professionals have been detained during this period.

Human rights groups say doctors and medical staff have been particularly vulnerable. According to Amnesty International, several Palestinian health care workers have been held without charge, with some cases described as arbitrary detention or enforced disappearance.

Despite these conditions, the graduating students described their achievement as an act of resilience and defiance. As per reports, many of them lost family members, homes, and classmates during the war, yet chose to continue their training in order to serve a population facing an acute shortage of medical professionals.

Observers say the graduation stands as a stark symbol of perseverance, highlighting both the devastation of Gaza’s education and health sectors and the determination of a new generation of doctors to continue practicing medicine amid ongoing conflict.