Travel restrictions – from Israel and Europe – trap students in Gaza

What the report says

Mariam al-Najar, a 24-year-old student from Khan Younis in Gaza, received an offer for a master’s degree in economics and management at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio in Italy, according to Al Jazeera. The acceptance, which came after she applied for a scholarship, briefly raised hopes that she could continue her education abroad after years of studying under war and disruption.

Al Jazeera reported that her main obstacle is no longer admission or a visa, but getting permission to leave Gaza. Israel’s restrictions on movement, compounded by wider conflict conditions and bureaucratic hurdles, have left her uncertain whether she will reach Italy in time for the autumn term. The article says the challenge is shared by many other Gaza students who have won places at European universities but remain unable to travel.

The report places Mariam’s case within a broader pattern affecting Palestinian students from Gaza and European institutions trying to host them. It notes that Italy has become an important destination because of comparatively lower tuition and living costs, and because some students have been evacuated there in recent years. Al Jazeera also quotes university and education advocates who say students often face complex exit procedures, transit requirements and changing documentation demands.

The issue matters because many scholarship recipients risk losing their university places if they miss enrollment deadlines. The article presents student-travel access as part of Gaza’s wider educational collapse, with limited infrastructure, repeated displacement and ongoing restrictions making higher education increasingly difficult to pursue.