Back to school for most people, except for Palestinians in Gaza as Israel's war continues

As summer ends and students around the world return to their studies, Palestinians in Gaza face a completely different reality.

The ongoing war has led to the destruction of more than 80% of schools, universities, and colleges, putting education on indefinite hold.

Students are not only deprived of essential learning opportunities, but those who have managed to complete their studies amid the conflict have had their achievements overshadowed by the absence of graduation ceremonies.

Instead of joining her classmates to start a new school year, Razan Abu Jabal, a ten-year-old student from Gaza, must wait for hours in long lines to fill her small gallon with salted water.

A year ago, the blonde-haired girl was excited to start fourth grade. She used to study her lessons and spend weekends with her family at the beach. 

"I was happy in my educational and personal life [...] I had everything I needed, and I always came first in my school certifications. But now, all my life has changed, and I've lost everything" the girl lamented. 

Like thousands of other children in Gaza, Razan's home, school, and way of life have been destroyed due to the war. 

Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli army launched a genocidal war on Gaza, claiming to respond to a Hamas-led attack on Israeli military sites and civilian settlements, which killed around 1,190 Israelis and captured around 240. 

In retaliation, the Israeli army has killed more than 40,861 Palestinians and wounded approximately 94,398, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

Among the casualties are about 9,000 students, 500 teachers, and 110 university lecturers and professors, as reported by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Education Ministry in a statement to The New Arab (TNA). 

'We are just children'

"Because of the war, I am forced to adapt to new, unimaginable daily routines, starting each day with long waits for water, food, and even phone charging," Razan remarked to TNA. 

"I don’t understand why we have to endure such hardship [...] We are just children who need to study and live our lives in peace," she added.

Rahaf al-Ashi, another student who is experiencing displacement, has been living the same dire conditions amid Israel's war. "Israel deprived us of our normal rights, basically the education, food, water, electricity and even the security," the 12-year-old student remarked to TNA. 

Similarly, Rahaf al-Ashi, another displaced student, is enduring the same dire conditions.

"Israel has deprived us of our basic rights — education, food, water, electricity, and even security," the 12-year-old said to TNA.

Although Rahaf was not among the top students, she loved being in school and has fond memories with her classmates. "When the new school year started, I used to wear my new uniform, and my mother would take me to school to meet my friends and teachers and encourage me to be a calm and diligent student," Rahaf recalled, her voice breaking with emotion.

The Israeli army destroyed Rahaf's school and home, and her mother and four classmates were killed in various attacks on Gaza. "I am so sad, and I don’t know if I will return to school soon or even if I will survive," she said.

Razan and Rahaf are among more than 620,000 Palestinian students who have not returned to school this year due to the ongoing Israeli aggression that began in October 2023.

Attempts to salvage education

According to the education ministry based in Ramallah, the remaining schools that survived have been converted into shelters.

"Thousands of students in the Gaza Strip are still facing a war of extermination that has lasted nearly 11 months," the ministry said in a press statement. 

The ministry added that, due to the war, students in Gaza were unable to complete the previous school year (2023-2024), noting that the "enemy seeks to eliminate most of the vital sectors in Gaza, including education."

To address this, the ministry announced the launch of an electronic platform to register students for e-learning lessons as a preliminary step towards virtual schools, which will begin with the new school year in the northern governorates.

However, mothers in Gaza have expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of these virtual schools. "Most children in Gaza do not have smartphones [...] and even if they do, internet services are not consistently available. How will our children study?" Maha Jalal, a displaced Palestinian woman in Khan Younis, told TNA.

"We had to use e-learning during the coronavirus pandemic, which added to our daily burdens even in normal times. I cannot imagine how it will succeed under the current catastrophic conditions," added the 32-year-old mother of four.