Professors Killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights announced on January 20, 2024 that it had documented the killing by Israeli military forces of 94 Palestinian university professors. Due to targeted destruction of infrastructure and attacks on Ministry of Education staff and their families, the names below comprise only a partial list of those scholars and, where available, their academic affiliation, supplied by the Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF) of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA). These individuals therefore represent only a small percentage of the hundreds of faculty and staff and the thousands of students and their families Israel has killed in military assaults or bombings, or through prolonged exposure to starvation, dehydration, and disease, since October 7, 2023.
University Presidents:
Professor Sufian Tayeh, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Tayeh, age 52, was a renowned physicist and president of the Gaza Islamic University. Ranked among the top two percent of scientific researchers in the world in 2021, Dr. Tayeh won the Palestine Islamic Bank Award for Scientific Research for in 2019 and 2020. Dr. Tayeh received his doctorate in physics and applied mathematics from Ain Shams University in Egypt in 2007. He was a recipient of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Young Arab Scientists, and the winner of the Islamic University Award for Scientific Research for the year 2021. In March 2023, he was appointed holder of the UNESCO Chair for Physical, Astrophysical, and Space Sciences in Palestine. Dr. Tayeh’s leadership style was anchored in inclusivity and mutual respect. He believed in providing equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background. During his tenure, the university saw an increase in the enrollment of women, illustrating his commitment to gender equality in education. On December 2, 2023 he was killed along with his entire family in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalya Refugee Camp, where he was born and raised.
Professor Said Al-Zubda, University College of Applied Sciences
Dr. Said Al-Zubda was President of the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza since 2021, and Director of the Technology Incubator there since 2011. He received his MA in 2007 and PhD in 2011 from the University of Nottingham in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. He authored some ten academic articles in the field of electronic engineering. Dr. Al-Zubda was killed along with his wife and children by an Israeli airstrike targeting their home on December 31, 2023.
Professor Muhammad Eid Shabir, former President, Islamic University of Gaza
Muhammad Eid Shabir, age 77, was a Professor of Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, and a former president of the Islamic University from 1990-2005. Dr. Shabir earned his PhD from Marshall University in the United States and was widely respected for his academic achievements and leadership. He was the author of a dozen research papers and publications, including one entitled “The Miracle of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.” Dr. Shabir was killed on November 14, 2023 along with his wife, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson in an airstrike on Gaza City.
Deans:
Dean Ibrahim Hussein Al-Astal, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Ibrahim Hussein Al-Astal, age 62, earned a PhD in Curriculum and Mathematics Teaching Methods in 1996. After teaching in the UAE, he returned to Gaza and was a professor and then Dean of the Faculty of Education at the Islamic University of Gaza. Dr. Al-Astal oversaw a number of projects in Gaza concerned with improving the quality of teacher education in mathematics and other technical fields. He also published on the future demands of the teaching profession. On October 23, 2023, he, his wife, his daughters, and some 87 of his relatives, 39 identified as children and 25 as women, were killed during an Israeli airstrike attack that targeted his home.
Dean Khitam Al-Wasifi, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Al-Wasifi was an associate professor of biophysics, former Chair of the Physics Department, and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza. She authored some 50 published research papers on subjects such as the effect of mobile radiation on life tissues, a slab waveguides, nonlinear optics, numerical simulation techniques and computational physics, electromagnetic waves, and applications of left-handed materials. Dr. Al-Wasifi was killed along with her husband when her home in Gaza City was hit by an Israeli missile strike on December 1, 2023.
Dean Mahmoud Abu Daf, Islamic University of Gaza
Dean Omar Saleh Farwana, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Omar Saleh Farwana was a former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Islamic University in Gaza and a renowned infertility and IVF specialist who worked in the medical sector in Gaza for more than 30 years, including at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. He held a doctorate in physiology from Britain. He was a well-known and respected doctor who often donated his time to charitable causes and was renowned for his generosity. Dr. Farwana, his wife, his children and grandchildren were all killed in their home in Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City, by an Israeli airstrike on October 15, 2023. More than a dozen family members were killed in total, including two doctors (Dr. Farwana and his daughter Aya), eight children (including a three-year-old and a newborn), and four women. Only eleven-year old Lynn Saleh Maher Farwana survived the attack.
Dean Taysir Ibrahim, Islamic University of Gaza
Dean Ahmad Hamdi Abo Absa, University of Palestine
Dr. Abo Absa, age 40, Dean of the College of Media and Internet Technology at the University of Palestine in Gaza, received his doctoral degree in Signal Processing Engineering from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 2018, after earning his MS degree in computer science from Northern Virginia Community College in 2007. He was a professor of Computer Science at the University of Palestine, and loved sharing his knowledge with his students. His areas of expertise were Biomedical Engineering, Software Engineering, Mathematics, and Critical Thinking. Dr. Abo Absa was killed on December 12, 2023 by Israeli occupation soldiers, who fired a tank missile at him following his release after having been arrested two days earlier.
Dean Ahmed Al-Dalu, University Of Palestine
Professors:
Professor Adham Hassouna, Al-Aqsa University
Adham Hassouna was a Palestinian freelance journalist and media professor at Gaza and Al-Aqsa universities. He was killed, along with several members of his family, by an Israeli airstrike on his home in Gaza City on November 10, 2023.
Professor Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Qara, Al-Aqsa University
Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Qara was a journalist, photographer, and an academic lecturer in Multimedia Studies at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza since 2017. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Al-Aqsa University, and then obtained a master’s degree in Journalism from the Islamic University in Gaza. He had been a manager of social media and a press photographer since his student days, and photographed most of the university’s activities. Al-Qara dreamed of becoming a famous journalist and conveying Palestine’s voice to the world. His dream ended when he was killed by an Israeli airstrike on his home in Khuza`a, east of Khan Yunis, on November 10, 2023.
Professor Nesma Abu Shaira, Al-Aqsa University
Nesma Abu Shaira, age 36, was born and raised in Gaza. She was a visual artist and an educator at the Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. She obtained a degree in fine arts at Al-Aqsa and then taught there in the Department of Fine Arts and Graphic Design. As a lecturer, she was very proud of her female students, saying she saw “a bright future in them.” As an artist, she especially enjoyed character sketches that included characters from books and mystical creatures. In 2011, Abu Shaira won third place in the first Gaza Contemporary Art Festival. Abu Shaira was in the midst of various projects such as creating illustrations for a children’s book and working on a new series of artworks “documenting Palestine” in her own way. She was killed, along with her family, in an Israeli airstrike on her home on October 28, 2023.
Professor Abdel Nasser Al-Saqqa, Al-Aqsa University
Dr. Abdel Nasser Al-Saqqa was a professor and chair of the Geography Department at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. He was killed by an Israeli bombardment of his house in Khan Yunis on January 7, 2024.
Professor Nidal Qudura, Al-Aqsa University
Dr. Qudura worked as a professor and lecturer in the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences at Al-Aqsa University. All of his students loved and respected him and spoke of his kindness and how he treated them as friends. Dr. Qudura was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential square in Jabalya Refugee Camp on November 20, 2023.
Professor Wiesam Essa, Al-Aqsa University
Professor Fadel Abu Hein, Al-Aqsa University
Dr. Abu Hein was a professor of psychology at Al-Aqsa University for over 20 years, and had published research articles in a number of journals in his field. He was considered an expert in treating trauma and mental health conditions resulting from years of war and specialized in children’s trauma. He worked to de-stigmatize mental health treatment in Gaza. He was also the director of the Community Training Centre for Crisis Management (CTCM) in Gaza, which offers psycho-social support to children and families and has supported thousands of Palestinian children traumatized by past Israeli attacks on Gaza. Dr. Abu Hein was killed by Israeli snipers in Khan Yunis on January 23, 2024.
Professor Jihad Al-Masri, Al-Quds Open University
Professor Hassan Kafarneh, Al-Quds Open University
Professor Muhammed Atef Awad, Al-Quds Open University
Professor Muhammad Al-Nabahin, Al-Quds Open University
Professor Ibrahim Barhoum Abu Salah, Islamic University of Gaza
Ibrahim Abu Salah was head of the Student Affairs Department at the Islamic University-Southern Campus. He was a dedicated member of the university community, deeply mourned by his colleagues and students. He was killed in an Israeli bombing on October 23, 2023.
Professor Islam Suleiman Haboush, Islamic University of Gaza
Islam Haboush was a well known researcher at the Islamic University of Gaza. She was author of the book Popular Resistance During the First Intifada in the Gaza Strip. She was also known for her lectures on the history of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa in particular. She was killed in Gaza, along with most of her family members, in an Israeli airstrike on October 19, 2023.
Professor Midhat Saidem, Islamic University of Gaza
Professor Nahed Al-Rafati, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Nahed Al-Rafati, age 62, was a Lecturer in Hebrew at the Islamic University of Gaza. He was thought of as a father by his students and known for his great kindness. He and his wife were killed by an Israeli airstrike on October 24, 2023.
Professor Refaat Al-Areer, Islamic University of Gaza
A prominent Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and activist, Al-Areer, age 44, was born in Gaza City in 1979 during the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, which he stated had negatively influenced every move and decision he made. Al-Areer earned a BA in English in 2001 from the Islamic University of Gaza and an MA from University College London in 2007. He earned a PhD in English Literature at the Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2017 with a dissertation on the English metaphysical poet, John Donne. He taught literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and co-founded the organization We Are Not Numbers, which matched experienced authors with young writers in Gaza, and promoted the power of storytelling as a means of resistance. On December 6, 2023, Al-Areer was killed along with his brother, sister, and her three children in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. Al-Areer had previously received death threats online and by phone from Israeli accounts.
Professor Mohammed Awad, Islamic University of Gaza
Mohammed Awad, age 27, graduated in 2019 from the Islamic University with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, earned with honors. Post-graduation, he was recruited to work as an assistant lecturer at the Engineering College at the Islamic University because of his academic achievements. Mohammed was killed by an Israeli bombardment in western Khan Yunis. He leaves behind an 18-month old son, who will now grow up without his father.
Professor Rizq Arruq, Islamic University of Gaza
Professor Amin Al-Bahtiti, Al-Azhar University of Gaza
Dr. Amin Al-Bahtiti, age 24, was a dentist and an assistant lecturer at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. He was well known for his good humor, his smiles, and his infectious laughter. His dream was to open his own dental clinic in Gaza. After the death of his father, he assumed responsibility for his family. He left home on November 5, 2023 to find food for his mother and his nine sisters, but he never returned. He was killed by an Israeli airstrike, and his body was found several days later.
Professor Ali AlQirinawi, University of Palestine
Professor Ibrahim Saidam, University of Palestine
Professor Mustafa Al-Laqta, University of Palestine
Professor Mustafa Al-Naqib, University of Palestine
Professor Naim Baroud, Islamic University of Gaza
Professor Azzu Affanah, Islamic University of Gaza (Deputy Dean)
Professor Muhammad Bakhit, Islamic University of Gaza
Professor Salem Abu-Mukhdah, Islamic University of Gaza
Professor Mohammed Dabbour, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Mohammed Dabbour received his medical degree from Gaza Medical School and completed his residency in anatomic pathology at the University of Jordan in Amman in 2013. He then pursued specialized training through a fellowship in oncologic pathology and hematopathology at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman, Jordan. In late 2015, Dr. Dabbour returned to Gaza, where he took on the role of a consultant pathologist at Al-Shifa Hospital, and also served as the head of the Pre-Clinical Department at the College of Medicine at the Islamic University of Gaza. He had an unwavering commitment to the vital mission of caring for cancer patients and advancing cancer treatment practices in Gaza. His research included the study of the impact of conflict and siege on cancer management in Gaza.
Director Tareq Thabet, University College of Applied Sciences
Tareq Thabet was a director of the UCAS Technology Incubator at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza. He trained and supported entrepreneurs in Gaza by providing administrative, technical, and financial support. He was a resident Hubert Humphrey Fellow, part of the U.S. Fulbright Program, at Michigan State University from 2021-2022, where he built on his extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and entrepreneurship by taking courses in finance and marketing, networking extensively with his local counterparts, and speaking to local community groups and youth. His goal was to take new knowledge, relationships, and experience back with him to Gaza and improve the local economy. Mr. Thabet was killed on October 29, 2023, when his apartment in Central Gaza City was bombed by the Israeli military, and 16 members of his family, including his wife, his children, and his parents, died alongside him.
Professor Shaher Yusuf Yaghi, University College of Applied Sciences
Dr. Shaher Yusuf Yaghi was a renowned psychologist in Gaza and coordinator for the School Quality Assurance Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Education. He held a BA in Social Rehabilitation from the University of Calgary (Canada), an MA in Disability Studies from Flinders University in Australia, and an MA in Psychology from the Islamic University in Gaza. He earned his PhD in Psychology in 2019 from the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, Education Division, in Egypt. Dr. Yaghi was a lecturer in rehabilitation and psychology at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, and also a lecturer at Al-Quds Open University. He published a number of academic articles in Arabic and English on trauma and rehabilitation, as well as manuals in Arabic for teaching students with special needs. He also worked as a clinician with the Center for Mind-Body Healing (CMBH) in Gaza in a program for trauma healing. Dr. Yaghi was killed with his wife and children, including his daughter Sumaia who also worked as a psychologist at CMBH, on December 10, 2023, by an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalya Refugee Camp.
Dr. Rafet Lobad
Professor Rafet Lobad, the head of the Internal Medicine department at Al-Shifa Hospital, was also an instructor in Internal Medicine and trained many Palestinian doctors. He was killed on November 17, 2023 by an Israeli bombardment, along with his entire family – his wife, children, and siblings.
Professor Khalil Abu Yahia
Khalil Abu Yahia was a writer and researcher in Postcolonial, Literary and Cultural Studies. He was an English teacher at the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education, and held a Master of Arts in translation studies, a BA in English literature, and a diploma in Public Policy and Strategic Planning. Abu Yahia participated in international events worldwide and had written and co-written various articles, the last one was about climate justice in Palestine. He was also involved in community oral history and the integration of drama into education. On October 30, 2023, Khalil was killed in an Israeli airstrike, along with his mother, his two brothers, his wife Tasnim, and his two young daughters, Elaf and Rital.
Professor Wael Al-Zard
Dr. Maisara Al-Rayyes
Professor Sirin Al-Attar
Sirin Al-Attar, age 39, was a gynecologist working for the UN agency UNRWA as well as a professor at the Islamic University of Gaza. Al-Attar graduated from Al-Quds University’s Faculty of Medicine, and was a highly accomplished medical professional, holding Arab, Jordanian, and Palestinian board certifications in obstetrics and gynecology. She was the mother of three daughters. UNRWA remembered her for her “generosity, deep love for her work and the care and affection she extended to her patients, offering unwavering support to them.” She was killed in an Israeli air strike on the Al-Bureij camp on October 11, 2023.
Professor Usama Al-Muzayni
Professor Ismail Abu Saada
Ismail Abu Saada earned his MA in Business Administration and Management from the Islamic University in Gaza in 2013, and his PhD in Business Administration and Management at the International Islamic University in Malaysia in 2021. He taught as a lecturer at the Islamic University in Malaysia for two years, and then decided to return to Gaza. He was working remotely as the Academic Coordinator of the Affiliate Support Center for the International American University when he was killed in Gaza on December 5, 2023.
Professor Khaled Al-Ramlawi
Professor Said Al-Dahshan
Professor Raed Qaddoura
Raed Qaddoura obtained a degree in English from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. He pursued his Master’s and PhD degrees at the National University of Malaysia in Politics and International Affairs, and stayed on in Malaysia as a course instructor at the University of the People, University of Malaysia. His academic publications include work on U.S. interests in the Israeli-Palestine conflict and the role of third-party mediation in Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements. Despite numerous job opportunities in Malaysia, he insisted on returning to Gaza after an eight-year absence. Dr. Qaddoura was killed along with his parents, his wife, his two-week-old twin daughters, and 29 members of his extended family by an Israeli airstrike on his home on November 20, 2023.
Professor Muhammad Abu-Zur
Professor Yusuf Juma’a Salameh
Professor Nida Affanah
Professor Mu’min Shuwaydah
Professor Siddiq Nassar
Professor Ahmad Abu Saadah
Professor Jamila Al-Shanti
Jamila Al-Shanti, age 68, was a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Islamic University. She received a BA in English from Ain Shams University in Egypt and a PhD in Educational Management from the University of Dubai. Dr. Al-Shanti founded Hamas’ women’s wing and was the first female political bureau member of Hamas, having previously served as a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. In November 2006, she famously led a women’s march that successfully broke a siege imposed by the Israeli occupation army on a mosque in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. She was killed in an Israeli strike on her home in the Jabalya Camp on October 19, 2023.
Professor Muhamamd Jamil Za’anin
Professor Ismail Al-Ghamri
Professor Walid Al-Amudi
Professor Abdullah Al-Amudi
Professor Hassan Al-Radi
Professor Muhammad Abu Amara
Professor Mahmud Al-Loh
Professor Khalid Al-Najjar
Professor Muhammad Al-Najjar
Professor Sherif Al-Asali, Islamic University of Gaza
Sherif Al-Asali was a senior lecturer in the College of Education at the Islamic University of Gaza. He held an MA and a PhD in Education. An active member of the university Teacher’s Union, he was much loved and respected by his students and colleagues. Dr. Al-Asali was killed in an Israeli bombardment on his home in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City along with some 30 members of his family on December 7, 2023.
Professor Muhammad Hassounah
Professor Yasir Radwan
Professor Jihad Al-Baz
Professor Hazem Al-Jamali
Dr. Hazem Al-Jamali was the head of the Public Law Department at the Faculty of Law at Gaza University. Al-Jamali was born in 1969 to a family that became refugees after being expelled in 1948 from the town of Bi’r al-Saba` (Beersheva), southeast of Gaza City. He received his PhD in Public Law from the University of Cairo, Egypt. He was a lecturer in public law at Gaza University and had been appointed head of his department several months before he was killed. He was a dedicated teacher, known for distinguished service, exemplary manners, and his sense of humor. He was killed, alongside his wife, on December 11, 2023, in the house to which the family had moved after the tower in which they lived was bombed.
Professor Nasser Ismail Al-Yafawi, Islamic University of Gaza
Dr. Nasser Ismail Al-Yafawi was a lecturer in Oral History at the Islamic University of Gaza. He received all of his degrees in history–a BA from Birzeit University, an MA from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza, and a PhD from the University of Colombo in Morocco. Dr. Al-Yafawi, age 54, was a prolific writer of political commentary and also published numerous academic articles on Palestinian history, with particular attention to the popular history and heritage of Gaza. He had served as secretary general of the Arab Intellectuals Initiative since 2014 and was a key participant in the establishment and management of the National Association of Palestinian Popular Heritage. Dr. Al-Yafawi was killed alongside his son by the Israeli army in central Gaza.
Professor Jihad Al-Masri
Professor Ismail Abu Saada
Professor Muhammad Nassar
Librarians:
Doaa Ahmed Al-Masri
Doaa Ahmed Al-Masri was a librarian and project manager of the Edward Said Public Library in Gaza. She was known as a kind and energetic young woman who organized many activities for children and youth at the library including reading groups, classes, and field trips for schools. Doaa was also a volunteer in many other projects. During each Israeli attack on Gaza, she joined her colleagues at Youth Vision Society in procuring, packing, and delivering emergency aid to children and families. She was killed along with her mother and siblings in an Israeli airstrike on December 7, 2023.
Photo: Members of Georgetown Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine hold a vigil for academics killed by Israel in Gaza in January 2024. Credit: Badreddine Rachidi
Georgetown Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine 