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The ongoing war on Gaza has led to the systematic destruction of schools and universities, termed scholasticide, severely disrupting higher education. Despite this, universities have shown remarkable resilience, sustaining learning through online education. This article addresses a gap in research on higher education resilience in conflict zones, focusing on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in an online semantics course during the war. Using resilience theory and the Palestinian concept of sumud, the study investigates how over 80 tertiary students in Gaza adapted between August and September 2024. Data were gathered from an online survey (81 respondents), 22 semi-structured interviews, and the researcher’s personal reflections as a lecturer in Gaza. The findings reveal how students and the instructor coped with physical, emotional, and technical challenges amid displacement, bombings, and institutional destruction. Despite these conditions, many students showed exceptional determination and adaptability. The study explores sources and meanings of this resilience, emphasising the importance of flexible teaching, innovative pedagogy, and strong support systems. It also calls for urgent international action to protect educational institutions during armed conflict. The findings contribute to resilience studies in higher education and offer practical insights for EFL educators and policymakers in conflict-affected contexts.
Ahmed Kamal Junina (Wed,) studied this question.