Jerusalem university offers full scholarships to former Gaza hostages, including kids

With another four young women released by Hamas, Hebrew University says it will cover a three-year degree in any field of study to help Oct. 7 hostages ‘rebuild a hopeful future’

Students at the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University on the first day of the academic year, October 23, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/FLASH90)
Students at the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University on the first day of the academic year, October 23, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/FLASH90)

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem on Sunday announced that it was offering full scholarships to all former Gaza hostages, after a second batch of Israelis were released from Hamas captivity over the weekend as part of a nascent hostage-ceasefire deal with the terror group.

According to a Hebrew University press release, the scholarships, which will also be available for child hostages when they grow up thanks to a dedicated fund, cover a three-year academic degree in any field of study.

The statement added that the grants will also include “personalized academic guidance, psychological support, and career counseling, aiming to provide a foundation for their recovery and reintegration. ”

Seven female hostages have been freed from Gaza over the past week in two batches, on Saturday and last Sunday, after over 15 months in captivity. They were among 251 Israelis kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel, which saw thousands of terrorists burst across the border, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

The terror group released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that, while 87 of the hostages abducted on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the Israel Defense Forces.

Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.

Top (L-R) Karina Ariev, Liri Albag; bottom (L-R) Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, the four Israeli released hostages, at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, January 25, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

Hebrew University rector Prof. Tamir Shefer said the scholarship program aspires to help former hostages “rebuild a hopeful future and provide a solid anchor in their long rehabilitation journey.”

“As Israel’s leading academic institution, we believe in the transformative power of higher education and its potential to drive personal and societal change,” Shefer added.

Since the Hamas onslaught and the ensuing wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the Hebrew University said it has been working to assist students serving in the IDF and those who have been displaced by the fighting by offering funding, tutoring, and alternative class schedules.

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