TEHRAN – An Iranian vice president has announced that Tehran will allow female students from the Gaza Strip to enter Iranian universities, as education in the besieged Palestinian territory remains halted due to relentless Israeli attacks. 

Ensiyeh Khazali, the vice president of Iran for women and family affairs, said Iran is willing to support Gazan students who are struggling to continue their education in the face of Israeli aggressions.

“In the first step, three female students from Gaza will receive scholarships to study at Bou Ali Sina University in Hamadan as a symbolic move, so that we can witness the expansion of this movement in other universities,” announced the VP on Monday, adding that women’s universities should particularly try to extend a helping hand to female students in Gaza. 

Khazali said it is important to show support for female pupils, as women are the ones that shape the future of their societies. “The women of Gaza are among the most patient and resistant women in world history, sending their children to the resistance front with courage and not bowing their heads in shame,” she noted.

She also stated that hosting students from other countries can be effective in introducing Iran’s culture to the world. 

“In the face of the crimes of the usurping Zionist regime, no practical action, restraint, sanction, or resistance by those who claim to be advocates of human rights and women's rights is visible, which is regrettable for humanity,” Khazali stressed. She called on regional countries to take cohesive action in order to put an end to Israel’s massacre of Palestinian women and children.

Since October 7, Israel has been bombing civilian sites across the besieged Gaza Strip including schools, universities and other education centers. Students in Gaza are currently unable to attend classes, as they struggle to stay alive under relentless Israeli attacks. Half of the buildings in Gaza have so far been destroyed, and more than 11,000 people have been killed. 

MHA