Israeli airstrikes hit the campus of the Islamic University of Gaza, west of Gaza City, on Sunday, October 25, according to Palestinian reports. The university said an airstrike wounded five people and suspended all academic and administrative activities. A second strike, according to local reports, killed three people identified as security personnel. Video from the scene shows smoke, panic and crowds fleeing near damaged buildings and vehicles. Palestinian outlets describe the targets differently, with some saying it was a gathering of civilians and others saying students were among the wounded, and I found no statement from the Israeli military explaining the strike.

The Islamic University, founded in 1978, is considered the top-ranked university in the Gaza Strip, and it has been hit repeatedly since the war began in October 2023. Its Gaza City campus was heavily damaged and many buildings were destroyed, and 56 academic and administrative employees were killed in 2023 and 2024, including university president Sufyan Tayeh. Today's strikes came on a day when Israeli drone strikes and gunfire also killed and injured Palestinians elsewhere in Gaza, including near Deir al-Balah. Gaza's Education Ministry says ten students and a teacher have been killed in Israeli attacks in recent days. The big questions now are who the targets were, whether any civilians were among the dead, and when the university can reopen.