Name
| Type: | University Library |
|---|---|
| Date of creation: | 1991 |
| Date of destruction: | 15/11/2023 for the Gaza branch |
| Name in Arabic: | مكتبات جامعة القدس المفتوحة |
| Transliteration: | Maktabāt jāmiʿat al-Quds al-maftūḥa |
| Name in French: | Bibliothèques de l’Université ouverte al-Quds [2] |
| Name in English: | Libraries of the Al-Quds Open University |
address(es) and location
| Branch in Gaza : | Sharia Hawyel Abdul Hamid, An Naser 31.534055, 34.453380 |
| Branch of North Gaza : | al-Awda, Beit Lahiya, North Gaza Governorate 31.543592, 34.513875 |
| Branch of al-Wusṭā : | Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Street, al-Zawāyda, opposite the entrance to the Maghāzī camp [3] 34.166107, 331.253606 |
| Branch of Khān Yūnis: | Qaṭar Street, near the Ḥamad neighbourhood 34.097785, 31.196063 |
| Branch of Rafaḥ : | Rafaḥ, Tall al-Sulṭān, near the Saudi residence 31.315093, 34.242249 |
| Website or social media: | Al-Quds Open University Libraries |
Entrance to Al-Quds Open University, North Gaza branch.
Photo: Home page of the Al-Quds Open University North Gaza website.
Entrance to Al-Quds Open University, Gaza branch.
Photo: Home page of the Al Quds Open University website, ’Al-Quds Open University condemns the bombing and destruction of the university building in Gaza and its use as military barracks, November 2023’.
Israeli soldiers inside Al-Quds Open University, Gaza branch.
Photo: Home page of the Al Quds Open University website,
Israeli soldiers attacking Al-Quds Open University, Gaza branch.
Photo: Home page of the Al Quds Open University website,
Al-Quds Open University, Khan Younis branch.
Source: جميع الحقوق محفوظة. شبكة (Al-Khamisa News), screenshots from a video posted on 13 March 2024 on https://x.com/5newspal/status/1768002143003263013?s=46.
Status prior to 7 October 2023: status of collections, archives and equipment.
Al-Quds Open University was founded in 1991. The following year, it opened branches in the Gaza Strip, five in total [4] on the eve of 7 October 2023:
- Branch of North Gaza (founded in 2001): Bayt Lāhyā, near the city of Shaykh Zāyid [6].
- Antenna al-Wusṭā (founded in 2002): Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Street, al-Zawāyda, opposite the entrance to the Maghāzī camp [7].
- Branch of Khān Yūnis (founded in 1999): Qaṭar Street, near the Ḥamad neighbourhood.
- Branch of Rafaḥ (founded in 2001): Rafaḥ, Tall al-Sulṭān, near the Saudi residence.
Each of these branches has its own library. This notice summarises the information available on all of these sites in the Gaza Strip.
Current status (as of 21 July 2025): status of collections, holdings and equipment
Dates of destruction:
- Gaza branch: 15 November 2023[Notice from the collective "Scholars at Risk ]].
- North Gaza antenna: unknown
- Rafah branch: unknown, but damage reported by Al Jazeera in an article published on 23 January 2025 [8].
- Khān Yūnis antenna: unknown. A video published on 13 March 2024 on X/Twitter by the Shabakat al-khāmisa agency li-l-anbāʾ shows some of the damage to the Khān Yūnis antenna, but does not provide information on the condition of the library. The same video was reposted by another account on 14 March 2024.
Circumstances of the destruction:
- Gaza branch: the site was bombed by the Israeli army, which had previously used it as a military barracks [9]. A report by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, cited by the newspaper al-Fanar Media, states that the bombing of the area surrounding the Gaza branch led to the demolition of the building [10].
- North Gaza branch: the university building was destroyed by an Israeli army bomb, according to a report by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, cited by the newspaper al-Fanar Media [11].
- Rafaḥ branch: the university site was used as barracks by the Israeli army, which also stationed its tanks there.
Description of destruction and/or damage
Buildings:
- Gaza branch: damaged [12].
- Rafah branch: the library building, which also housed the Kuwait Conference Hall, was severely damaged after being set on fire from the inside. The University had recently invested $6 million in its renovation. The library was located on the first floor [13]
Collections / documentary resources:
- Rafaḥ branch: the collection of what was once Gaza’s largest library has been completely destroyed, as Muḥammad Muwāfī, a member of the university’s administrative team, testified on camera to Al Jazeera [14].
Equipment:
- Not specified
Staff situation
- Unknown
Written sources
- Sources are referenced in the footnotes
Iconographic and audiovisual sources
- Rafaḥ branch: a video report published on the Al Jazeera website on 23 January 2025 shows the extent of the destruction of the Rafaḥ branch, particularly the library located on the first floor. All of the books were reduced to ashes and dust [15].
- Gaza branch: official university statement published on 19 November 2023, accompanied by a photo of a damaged building, with tanks in the foreground.
Testimonials:
Not referenced at this time
Preservation, safeguarding, restoration
- Renovation of the site, safeguarding of collections or holdings completed or in progress as of 7 October 2023
- Emergency interventions during the war
- Possible restoration/reconstruction programme
Technical information
| File number: | 7 |
|---|---|
| Link to other files: | — |
| Type: | University Library |
| Author(s): | Rémy Gareil & Ha** |
| Date of creation of the file: | 21/07/2025 |
| Update date(s): | — |