Palestinian students in Gaza take online final exams amid war damage (2).

SHOTLIST: GAZA CITY, PALESTINE (JUNE 20, 2026) 1. BANNER AT ENTRANCE OF EXAM CENTRE ESTABLISHED BY EJIR GATE ASSOCIATION 2. PALESTINIAN FAMILIES WAITING OUTSIDE EXAM CENTRE 3. VARIOUS OF STUDENTS INSIDE TENT-BASED EXAM CENTRE 4. VARIOUS OF STUDENTS TAKING ELECTRONIC EXAMS 5. MERAM HAMOU, GAZA REPRESENTATIVE OF EJIR GATE ASSOCIATION, SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 6. STUDENT REVAN SHAKSHAK SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 7 STUDENT MAHMOUD IYD SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic) 8. VARIOUS OF STUDENTS TAKING ELECTRONIC EXAMSGAZA CITY, PALESTINE - JUNE 20, 2026: Palestinian high school students in the Gaza Strip began final examinations online on Saturday, June 20, marking the third consecutive year the tests have been held remotely due to war-related disruption and damage to the territory's education system. For the first time since October 2023, students in Gaza are taking the exams simultaneously with their peers in the occupied West Bank. Nearly 37,700 students in Gaza are sitting the exams through the "e-School" platform, accessing the tests from locations with internet connectivity, including public spaces and temporary learning centres. Jamal Youssef, deputy director-general of examinations at Gaza's Education Ministry, said authorities had adopted an electronic system because school buildings could not be used during the conflict. He said officials had managed to coordinate the exams simultaneously for students in Gaza, the West Bank and abroad despite the collapse of much of the education sector and widespread destruction of school facilities. A November 2025 report by UNICEF said more than 97% of schools in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed. Separate assessments by education agencies and the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA found that nearly 92% of school buildings required reconstruction or major rehabilitation before they could be used again. The Palestinian Prisoner's Society said 65 high school students held in Israeli prisons were unable to take the exams. The group said the detainees had been denied educational opportunities and other basic rights since the start of the war, and called on international organizations to intervene. Israel launched its genocide in Gaza in October 2023. According to Palestinian figures, the offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 173,000 others, most of them women and children, while devastating much of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure. Although a ceasefire has been in place since Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks and restrictions have continued, leaving more than 1,000 additional Palestinians dead and over 3,100 injured since the truce took effect.