1,000 Canadian Academics Demand Immediate Ceasefire as Gaza’s Educational Institutions and Wider Communities Face Destruction​

Organized by Justice For All Canada in partnership with Canadian Palestinian advocates and academic leaders, the joint letter, addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and signed by members of Canada’s academic community, condemns the ongoing targeting of academic institutions and the broader Palestinian population, which continues to face deadly attacks from Israeli military forces.

One such tragic example is Professor Sofyan Taya, a widely respected physicist and President of the Islamic University of Gaza. Professor Taya, who was internationally recognized for his contributions to science, was among the top 2% of global researchers and served as the UNESCO Chair for Physics and Space Sciences in Palestine. He was killed, along with his family, when an Israeli airstrike hit their home in the Jabalia Refugee Camp.

Israel has systematically targeted Palestinian academics and institutions, depriving future generations of leadership in education and scientific research. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed 11 higher education buildings, killed 439 members of Palestinian university communities, and severely disrupted access to education for over 88,000 students in Gaza alone.

"The scale of the destruction in Gaza is unprecedented. Academic institutions, which are protected under international law, have been bombarded, alongside hospitals, homes, and critical infrastructure,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada. “We appreciate Canada’s academic community standing together to demand the protection of civilians and the cessation of these unlawful attacks."

Beyond the academic sphere, Israel's ongoing military actions have devastated Palestinian civil society. "The destruction extends far beyond schools and universities," the joint letter states, "decimating entire communities." Over 42,612 civilians have been killed, including 16,765 children and 25,000 women, and almost 1 million buildings have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions displaced. Justice For All Canada notes that the targeting of civilians, whether academic staff, students, or ordinary Palestinians, constitutes violations of international law.

The letter calls for:

• Canadian universities and colleges to advocate for the Canadian government to take meaningful action to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
• Official condemnation of the attacks on Gaza’s academic institutions, including the murder of prominent scholars like Professor Sofyan Taya.
• Establishment of scholarships in memory of those scholars who have been killed.
• Collaboration with international bodies, including UNESCO, to protect Palestinian academic and civilian institutions.

A copy of the letter can be viewed online here

Justice For All Canada is a nonprofit human rights advocacy organization focusing on genocide prevention of global minorities. The following joint effort was organized as part of our Save Palestine campaign.