'Education disruptions persist for Gaza's children,' as Israel's conflict hampers a full school year's worth of learning.
In a coastal area, numerous children and adolescents sit on the floor, cross-legged, inside a makeshift classroom. Their gazes shift between each other and a large whiteboard as they follow their teacher, Oula Al Ghoul, who encourages them gently. The steady hum of Israeli drones overhead serves as a grim reminder of the continuous conflict that has plagued the region for over eleven months.
Al Ghoul expressed her sentiments to CNN, stating, "We have war, no schools... Yet the children are eager to learn." Determined to provide a semblance of education, she established a simple classroom within the same tent that housed her living quarters. The motherly teacher observed that even the parents inquired about their children's progress in writing and reading.
Regrettably, Al Ghoul is an exception. As the new academic year commences for children in various regions, those in Gaza will continue their hiatus from school. The Israeli military action initiated following the Hamas-led October 7 assault has precipitated a humanitarian disaster and discontinued educational services in the besieged territories.
Unicef reports that approximately 45,000 first-grade students from the Gaza Strip will be unable to commence the new school year. These young learners join the 625,000 children who have already missed an entire academic year, with a worrying possibility of experiencing a second educational setback.
Over a hundred schools and universities have been destroyed in Gaza due to Israeli air strikes, as reported by the Government Media Office (GMO) in the region. In addition, an estimated 11,500 students and 750 teachers have lost their lives, according to GMO figures obtained on Monday.
Earlier this year, Unicef accused Israeli forces of intentionally damaging the academic system in Gaza, invoking the input of independent experts and advocating for the protection of schoolchildren. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claims that their attacks on schools are directed at Hamas militants and insisted that they have taken measures to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas has vehemently denied the presence of armed fighters in civilian infrastructure.
Many schools have been transformed into temporary shelters for displaced individuals as they seek refuge from Israel's bombardment. Several Palestinian children reported to CNN that their days dedicated to learning have been replaced by the struggle for survival, including lengthy waits for water or food supplies. Aid workers have observed tight living conditions that leave children with no safe space to play in the cramped displacement camps.
Raghad Ezzat Hamouda, a 19-year-old English literature student, shared her frustrations with CNN, disclosing that her ambitions for further education were thwarted by the war. Devastated, she explained that she had signed up for university courses last fall but was unable to attend once the conflict escalated.
Israel launched its military intervention on October 7 in retaliation to armed attacks on southern Israel by the Hamas-led militant group. At least 1,200 fatalities and over 250 abductions have been reported by Israeli authorities as a result of these attacks.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in at least 41,182 Palestinian fatalities and more than 95,000 injuries, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. CNN could not independently verify these statistics.
"No schools, no books, nothing"
Groups of boys in grimy footwear carry empty jerry cans as they line up for water aid at a school that serves as an impromptu displacement shelter in Deir al-Balah. Under the relentless sun, the boys’ faces are scorched as they succumb to the hot desert climate.
CNN footage obtained from the school, managed by the United Nations' primary agency for Palestinian humanitarian aid, UNRWA, depicted children jostling for scarce resources. Swarms of flies drifted among the displaced individuals, who huddled under tents, washing lines, and well-worn mattresses within the sprawling facility. The Israeli military action in Gaza has forced 1.9 million people to flee their homes, according to UN data – a staggering 98% of the total population.
"We used to study, attend classes, complete our homework, and our lives were joyful," shared Maryam Shtawi, a young girl taking refuge in the shelter, with CNN on Monday. "As a result of the war, we were displaced, and education vanished; our lives have been reduced to fetching water and acquiring basic necessities. I desire to learn."
Nine-year-old Sajid lamented that his fourth-grade beginnings had been overshadowed by the destruction of schools and the transformation of classrooms into temporary shelters for displaced people. "Now, we go to collect water and buy supplies from the market. We no longer learn," he said mournfully. "Had I remained in school, I would have eventually become a renowned doctor."
The lack of safety for those sheltering in schools is a prevalent concern. UNRWA notes that 70% of schools they manage have sustained damage during the conflict - 95% of which were providing shelter for displaced individuals. On September 9, UNRWA reported that an airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza had resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals, including UNRWA staff.
Israel claimed that the school had been used by Hamas militants to plot attacks against Israeli troops and the nation-state. UNRWA, however, asserted that their staff members were simply teachers at the school. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli airstrikes on schools as "blatant violations of international humanitarian law."
The students are currently facing a tough situation, they should be studying instead... Regrettably, none of them can write. There aren't any schools, books, or educational resources available to them. Instead of being in their classrooms or institutions, these students are either hawking goods on the streets or assisting their families by waiting in lines for water or food supplies.
At least 19,000 children have been divorced from their parents or caretakers, according to a UN report released in August.
‘They are literally treading through garbage’
Moving further south to Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, children can be seen wandering barefoot through the dirty streets, claimed a relief worker based in this sprawling coastal town.
Some of these children dig through mountains of trash in search of items they can sell, reported Liz Allcock, head of protection at the UK-based NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
“Children are everywhere,” Allcock stated on Friday. This information was relayed to CNN by MAP. “Where else would they go? There aren’t many secure play areas for children.
“I’ve noticed children without shoes, walking barefoot among trash dumps that extend as far as the eye can see. They are literally trudging through garbage, plastic, all kinds of debris. It is an extremely hazardous environment.”
Aid organizations state that they are unable to supply appropriate protection or shelter for children due to resource constraints, strikes on Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, and repeated evacuation orders. In June, the UN included Israel's military in a global roster of wrongdoers who have violated children's rights. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also added to this list, according to a diplomatic source.
“This is a situation of compounded vulnerabilities that I have never encountered in any other humanitarian setting,” said Allcock.
“The actions taken by the Israeli military that have resulted in this situation – the prohibition of sufficient aid, bombings and air strikes on civilians and humanitarian zones – is a violation of every type of possible child right specified in international law.”
The United Nations reported that approximately 45,000 first-grade students from the Gaza Strip will begin the new school year without attending classes due to the ongoing conflict. As a result, these students are missing out on their education and face the possibility of experiencing a second educational setback.
The destruction of over a hundred schools and universities in Gaza due to Israeli air strikes has left an estimated 11,500 students and 750 teachers displaced. Many of these schools have been transformed into temporary shelters for displaced individuals, affecting the education of thousands of children in the region.
