Gaza students return to in-person schooling for first time in three years

Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person classes on Saturday for the first time in nearly three years, with many studying in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents as families struggle to afford uniforms, notebooks and pens.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 98% of schools in Gaza were destroyed or damaged during the war, while Gaza education officials estimate that about 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular participation in education.

The reopening marks the start of the 2026-27 academic year, with the Ministry of Education, supported by international and local organisations, establishing temporary schools made of tents, tarpaulins, sheet metal and wood.

At least 540,000 students are expected to attend in-person classes this year in makeshift private schools, temporary learning centres and educational points, according to education officials. Online learning will continue for students unable to attend classes or those who left Gaza during the war.

The reopening comes after a conflict that has killed around 22,000 students and more than 770 education workers, including 532 teachers, according to Ibrahim Ramadan, director of education for East Khan Younis.

“The last time I have been to school was three years ago. Now, we are starting the school year,” said Moayed Abu Mustafa in Khan Younis.

Mustafa said he was determined to continue his education despite studying on the floor of a tent without ventilation and lacking decent shoes, notebooks and pens. He also said he had lost friends during the war.

“Despite all of this we will learn, we will learn even in a tent,” he said.

Fifteen-year-old displaced student Samar Abu Salmi, who lives with her family in a tent, has also returned to class.

“We studied on phones and we haven’t seen our teachers... now, we are back pursuing our dream... from one tent to another,” she said in the yard of her makeshift school.

She said many essential items had become unaffordable for her family.

“Before the war, everything was available for us — notebooks, pens, goods, clothes, outings, things that we could get cheaply,” Salmi said.

Some temporary schools have been built on sandy ground, while others have classrooms with only mattresses and a blackboard. Some buildings are still being used to house displaced families.

Fourteen-year-old Yamen Abu Samra said students now face fears that were not part of their school routine before the war.

“We used to wake up happy to go to school... Now, when we come to school, we’re afraid of stray bullets, rockets, strikes, everything,” he said.

“Now, I’m sitting in a tent that has absolutely nothing, just the sun and the heat,” he added.

Israeli forces remain in control of more than 60% of Gaza despite last year’s ceasefire, which halted major fighting but did not end the conflict.

Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023.

Stationery trader Khaled Aliyan, 30, said Israeli import restrictions had reduced supplies and driven up prices.

“This notebook, which used to cost 3 shekels ($1), now costs 15 shekels. All stationery items are expensive,” he said.

Israel’s COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on restrictions on supplies and strikes on schools. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using schools for military purposes, an allegation Hamas denies.