Every year on August 12, the world marks International Youth Day, designated by the United Nations as a platform to highlight the role of young people as essential partners in shaping a more sustainable and just future.
This year’s theme, “Local Youth Action for the Sustainable Development Goals and Beyond”, comes at a time when youth in the Gaza Strip are enduring one of the most difficult chapters in the modern history, as the blockade and war enter their second consecutive year.
Young people aged 15–35 make up about 33% of Palestine’s total population—approximately 1.6 million men and women, nearly half of whom live in Gaza Strip. Yet this vast human potential faces systematic marginalization and denial of basic rights.
Recent data also shows a 10% decline in the number of youth in Gaza, aged from 18 to 29, compared to 2025 population projections, due to direct and targeted attacks against this group by the occupying forces—an alarming sign of dangerous demographic changes in the structure of Palestinian society, according to Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Amidst the ongoing relentless Israeli onslaught on Gaza, devastating figures reveal the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, particularly among young people.
Since the onset of the genocide on October 7, 2023, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed—representing 2.7% of Gaza’s total population. Youth account for about 24% of those killed, with 26% male, 22% female, according to official statistics.
By the end of 2024, an unprecedented economic collapse is clearly observed, with Gaza’s GDP shrinking by more than 82% and unemployment soaring to 80%—a result of the prolonged blockade, continuous attacks, and destruction of the economic infrastructure.
Education Under Siege
Education has also been severely affected. In the past two years, more than seven major universities and colleges in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, depriving around 88,000 students of having their seats in the classes.
In addition, around 39,000 students have been denied the right to sit for the general secondary school exam for two consecutive years (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics).
The crisis facing Gaza’s youth is not just economic or educational—it is a systematic and blatant violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed under international law, including the rights to education, work, freedom of movement, participation in public life, and an adequate standard of living.
The destruction of universities, the loss of educational opportunities, and the high rates of unemployment, poverty, and isolation constitute clear breaches of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The deteriorating economy, the collapse of job opportunities, and the destruction of a safe educational environment have placed Gaza’s youth in an existential struggle: instead of contributing to building and developing their society, they are forced to fight daily for survival.
Youth Vision Society—Our Position
Youth Vision Society affirms that the continuation of these violations will destroy an entire generation and deprive Palestinian society of its energy and capabilities. This requires urgent international action to hold the occupation accountable, end these practices, and ensure the protection of Palestinian youth rights as guaranteed by international conventions.
On this global occasion, Youth Vision Society extends its salute of steadfastness and respect to all Palestinian youth—especially those in Gaza—for their patience and determination in the face of blockade, war, and the loss of economic and educational opportunities. The Society stresses that investing in youth today is not a luxury, but a strategic necessity for the survival and resilience of Palestinian society.
We also encourage young people who are committed to serving the Palestinian community, who prioritize the public good over chaos, and we value the efforts of those working with transparency and humanitarian responsibility, offering their services sincerely under the current difficult conditions.
The Society calls for:
Urgent international intervention to rebuild universities and provide immediate scholarships for affected students.
Launching a national employment fund targeting unemployed university graduates.
Training and capacity-building programs tailored to the needs of local and international labor markets.
Establishing business incubators and small projects to economically empower youth.
Facilitating academic and professional exchange with international universities and institutions through special arrangements that bypass the blockade.
Integrating youth into decision-making roles at both local and national levels.
Providing psychosocial support programs to help youth recover from the impacts of war.
In conclusion, we affirm that the youth of Palestine are the true wealth capable of driving change, and leaving them to face such a fate without urgent intervention would be an irreparable loss to humanity as a whole.
Youth Vision Society
August 12, 2025 – Gaza, Palestine