Gaza Students Return to School After Three Years Amid Devastation

Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person classes last Saturday for the first time in nearly three years, attending school in damaged buildings, temporary structures, or tents. Many families struggle to afford school supplies like uniforms, notebooks, and pens.

UNICEF reports that 98 percent of Gaza's schools have been destroyed or damaged during the conflict. Gaza's education officials state that approximately 660,000 students were deprived of regular, in-person education. Ibrahim Ramadan, director of education in eastern Khan Younis, described the school reopening as a milestone, noting that the conflict had claimed the lives of around 22,000 students and over 770 education workers, including 532 teachers.

Students like Mu'ayyad Abu Mustafa in Khan Younis expressed mixed emotions, "This is the first time I've been to school in three years. Now the new school year begins. A year of joy, a year of happiness, a year of success." He added, "Even though we are studying in tents, with no ventilation, no seats, sitting on mats, and a year we lost our friends... there are no notebooks or pens... Despite this, we will study, and we will study in a tent."

Fifteen-year-old displaced student Samar Abu Salmi, living with her family in a tent, also returned to classes. "Before the war, we studied, and now we want to achieve our dream," she said, standing in the yard of her new temporary school. "We saw the teachers... we used to study on our phones. Now we are back to achieving our dream from tent to tent." Samar, like many others, lacks basic supplies due to her family's financial struggles.

Despite widespread destruction, Gaza's Ministry of Education launched the 2026-2027 academic year with support from international and local organizations. Dozens of temporary learning sites, including tents and prefabricated structures, were established. Some classes consist only of mats and a blackboard, with students packed together. Other schools continue to house displaced families.

Fourteen-year-old Yamen Abu Samra attends another school. "Before the war, we woke up happy to go to school... Now we come to school afraid of stray bullets, rockets, and shells," he said. "Now there is no electricity, no generators, no solar panels. We are sitting in a tent with nothing in it, only sun and heat."

Education officials anticipate at least 540,000 students will attend in-person classes this year in private schools, centers, and temporary sites, supported by UNICEF. Online learning will continue for those unable to attend or who left Gaza during the war.

Israeli forces still control over 60 percent of Gaza, despite a ceasefire last year that halted major hostilities but not the conflict. Palestinian authorities report over 73,000 killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.

Khaled Alian, a 30-year-old stationery merchant, cited Israeli import restrictions as the cause of supply shortages and price hikes. "For example, this notebook cost three shekels, today it costs 15 shekels. All stationery items are expensive." The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military agency overseeing Gaza access, did not respond to a request for comment on supply restrictions and alleged military use of schools, which Israel has accused Hamas of, and Hamas denies.