After Gaza’s universities were devastated, UK celebrities launch auction to help Palestinian students rebuild their futures
"Rebuilding higher education in Gaza is not just about restoring institutions. It is the key to restoring hope, opportunity, and future prosperity for an entire generation."
With almost all of Gaza’s universities destroyed or damaged by the war, hundreds of young Palestinians who have secured places at UK universities are now relying on international support to continue their education.
Many have been offered places but have no way of funding their studies. To help ensure they don’t miss out on the opportunity, a number of celebrities are joining forces to raise money through a charity auction.
Organised by the Phoenix Space charity, the Scholarships for Gaza auction features donations from more than 20 figures from television, sport and music, including Gary Lineker, Derry Girls stars Siobhán McSweeney and Nicola Coughlan, Brian Cox and Charlotte Church, who have donated personal items to be auctioned.
In 2025, despite the immense challenges, Phoenix Space and its partners supported the safe exit of 1,128 students from Gaza, who are now studying at universities across Britain.
The UK government continues to support Palestinian students leaving Gaza if they have secured a place at a UK university. However, to qualify, students must either have a full scholarship or be able to fund their tuition and living costs themselves.
The need for that support comes as Gaza’s higher education system has been left in ruins. UNESCO found that 95% of the territory’s higher education campuses had been either completely destroyed or damaged by November 2025.
Of the 200 campus buildings assessed, 195 had either been destroyed or were no longer capable of hosting students. At the same time, UNESCO found that 22 percent of the higher education workforce had been killed, injured or detained, while warning the true figures were likely to be higher because of the difficulties in collecting information from Gaza. The agency estimates it will cost around £280 million to rebuild the region’s higher education institutions.
“Rebuilding higher education in Gaza is not just about restoring institutions. It is the key to restoring hope, opportunity, and future prosperity for an entire generation,” UNESCO said.
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