Education Amid Ruins: Gaza Children Return to School Without Basic Resources

Palestinian children stand outside the partially damaged Al-Mushtal Sports Club in Gaza City

Eleven-year-old Layan Haji makes her way through Gaza City's devastated landscape each day, heading to a makeshift classroom without any backpack, books, or school uniform. After two years of conflict disrupted her education, she's finally returning to some form of schooling.

Her classroom, however, bears little resemblance to what she once knew. Instead of decorated walls and student artwork, tents established within a damaged building serve as temporary learning spaces.

"I walk for at least half an hour. The streets are devastated, full of ruins... It is difficult and sad," explains Haji, dressed in worn clothing with visible patches. Despite these challenges, she adds, "I am happy to return to my studies," already nurturing dreams of becoming a doctor someday.

Haji is among 900 students now attending the Al-Louloua al-Qatami school, one of several facilities that have reopened to allow children to resume education for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war erupted.

"We don't have books or notebooks. The libraries are bombed and destroyed," laments Haji, who resides in a displacement camp in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa area. "There is nothing left," she adds solemnly.

Following a precarious ceasefire that took effect a month ago, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and Gaza's education ministry announced that children have gradually begun returning to schools in areas not under Israeli military control.

Sixteen-year-old Said Sheldan expresses joy at being able to attend school now that fighting has paused. However, he notes, "I don't have books, notebooks, pens or a bag. There are no chairs, electricity or water — not even streets."

Before Sheldan can focus on learning, he must address more fundamental needs. "Every morning, I have to collect water and wait in line for bread," he explains. His family has been displaced "10 times" and now "no longer have a home."

Headmaster Iman al-Hinawi, 50, states that the school hopes to provide books and supplies soon at no cost. However, she cautions that the war has forced Gaza's children to perform "heavy labour" to support their families, particularly when breadwinners have been lost.

"They collect firewood, fetch water and stand in line for food" throughout a territory where the UN previously declared famine conditions.

Observers have witnessed countless children clutching containers ranging from plastic buckets to dented pans or simple plates, crying and pushing through massive crowds to collect food for their families.

To address the psychological trauma these children have endured, Hinawi explains that the school has implemented new learning approaches centered around play. Girls engage in math competitions through dance, while other children perform comedic scenes to recite curriculum poems.

Nevertheless, Faisal al-Qasas, who oversees the Al-Louloua al-Qatami school, notes that students remain constantly preoccupied with the necessity of waiting in queues for bread and water.

Operating two shifts to accommodate 900 children, the school now employs "extracurricular activities to address the students' mental health" and help them transition back to learning.

According to UN assessments, 97 percent of Gaza's schools have sustained damage, including from "direct hits," with most requiring complete reconstruction or major rehabilitation.

Israeli strikes have resulted in Palestinian casualties among those sheltering in schools, with Israel claiming that Hamas fighters use these facilities as cover.

With many schools serving as displacement shelters, UNRWA has established "temporary learning spaces." Last month, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini reported that over 25,000 children have joined these new educational environments, with approximately 300,000 following online classes.

However, these efforts still fall short of reaching the education ministry's estimated 758,000 students across the Gaza Strip.

In southern Gaza's Al-Mawasi area, local initiatives, some receiving international support, are working to restore educational opportunities.

Qatar's Education Above All Foundation launched the "Rebuilding Hope for Gaza" program, which aims to support more than 100,000 students by distributing school supplies, ensuring internet and electricity access, and providing psychological support.

Even with such assistance, schools in the Al-Mawasi area can currently offer only four subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.

Hazem Abu Habib, representing an initiative backed by the foundation, states, "we aim to help as many students as possible resume their education, even if it's just with basic courses."

Before the conflict, Gaza was "completely free of illiteracy," he notes. But now "education is facing its most critical period."