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School bells ring again in war-torn Gaza City
After a two-year interruption caused by conflict, children in Gaza City are resuming their education in temporary tent classrooms, marking a fragile step toward normalcy following the October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
A fragile return to learning
The sound of lessons and children's chatter now fills the ruins of Lulwa Abdel Wahab al-Qatami School in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City. The building, struck in January 2024, had served as a shelter for displaced families for months. Today, it hosts makeshift classrooms where teachers instruct pupils in basic subjects like Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.
For many students, this is their first time back in a classroom since the war began. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that over 97% of Gaza's schools suffered damage or destruction during the conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have repeatedly claimed Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including schools, for military operations, though evidence has seldom been provided.
Lost years and lingering trauma
Of Gaza's 658,000 school-aged children, most have missed formal education for nearly two years. During that time, many experienced hunger, displacement, and loss firsthand. Fourteen-year-old Naeem al-Asmaar, who attended Lulwa School before its destruction, lost his mother in an Israeli airstrike.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever been through," he said quietly.
Though his family's home in Gaza City survived, Naeem spent months displaced. After the ceasefire, he returned to find his school reduced to tents.
"Before the war, school was in real classrooms. Now it's tents. We only study four subjects. There isn't enough space. The education is not the same-but being here matters."
Rital Alaa Harb, a ninth-grade student, dreams of becoming a dentist. She described how displacement disrupted her education entirely.
"There was no time to study. No schools. I missed my friends so much-and I miss my old school."
Overwhelmed resources and unmet needs
The makeshift school, run by UNICEF, serves 1,100 students in three daily shifts, with boys and girls attending on alternating days. Only 24 teachers are available to cover the basics of the Palestinian curriculum. Principal Dr. Mohammed Saeed Schheiber, an educator with 24 years of experience, took over the site in mid-November.
"We started with determination to compensate students for what they lost."
Before the war, students had access to science labs, computer labs, and the internet. Now, the school lacks electricity, internet, and adequate space. Many children struggle with trauma: over 100 students lost parents, homes, or witnessed violence during the conflict. Every child at the school has been affected, directly or indirectly, Dr. Schheiber said.
A counselor now conducts psychological support sessions, but demand far outstrips capacity. The school cannot accommodate all the children from nearby displacement camps, where families from northern and eastern Gaza have sought refuge.
Parents grapple with impossible choices
Huda Bassam al-Dasouki, a mother of five displaced from southern Rimal, said education has become an overwhelming challenge. Even before the war, schools faced shortages, but now basic supplies are either unaffordable or unavailable.
"A notebook that cost one shekel ($0.31; £0.23) before the war now costs five. I have five children."
Some children, including those who lost years during the COVID-19 pandemic, have fallen four years behind. Al-Dasouki's son, she said, cannot read, write, or copy from the board.
UNICEF highlights that restrictions on aid supplies entering Gaza worsen the situation. Jonathan Crickx, a UNICEF spokesperson, pointed to missing essentials like paper, pens, and mental health kits.
"We've been asking for a long time that these supplies can enter the Gaza Strip, and they haven't been allowed in."
An Israeli security official directed inquiries to the prime minister's office, which did not respond. Israel maintains it is meeting its obligations under the ceasefire deal and facilitating increased aid deliveries. The UN and aid agencies dispute this, accusing Israel of continuing to restrict access to critical supplies.
A glimmer of hope amid ongoing strikes
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes continue almost daily in response to alleged Hamas violations. Yet, children keep returning to school. For teacher Kholoud Habib, their determination speaks volumes.
"Education is our foundation. As Palestinians, it is our capital. We lose homes. We lose money. We lose everything. But knowledge-knowledge is the one investment we can still give our children."
