Gaza's Children: A Deadly Journey to School Amidst Ongoing Conflict

The harrowing reality of education in Gaza is underscored by the tragic death of 14-year-old Mohammed Hamad. While walking home from his makeshift school in Deir el-Balah on October 17, an Israeli strike on the al-Baraka neighbourhood claimed his life, along with another man. Mohammed, an eighth-grade student and one of his father Riyad Hamad’s three children, was known for his academic excellence.

“He was not just my son, he was my friend,” a grieving Riyad Hamad shared from his family tent, struggling to comprehend the loss. The incident has deeply affected Mohammed’s 10-year-old brother, Abdullah, who survived the strike. Abdullah now fears going to school alone, a stark illustration of the pervasive anxiety gripping families in Gaza.

“We are living in fear. When I go out into the streets, I swear I am afraid. Even when I am walking or sitting in a car, my heart is filled with fear,” Riyad Hamad expressed, questioning the constant terror his children endure. “Enough is enough. The child is supposed to bury his father, not the father bury his child. They have turned the order of things upside down.”

The resumption of the academic year on September 19, after nearly three years of disruption due to Israeli wars, had offered a glimmer of hope for normalcy. However, ongoing Israeli air raids and sniper fire continue to endanger students. Between October 18 and 24, ten children aged six to 16 and a teacher were killed. The Ministry of Education reported that two girls were wounded during morning assembly at Muradiya School in Jabalia on October 21, and five students were injured in an attack on the Islamic University campus in Gaza City the same day. The ministry has called for urgent international action to protect educational institutions and students.

Schools near the “Yellow Line,” a boundary that has shifted to give Israel control over more territory, are particularly vulnerable. At least 66 Palestinian children have been killed near this line, with pupils and teachers facing constant danger from Israeli snipers and bombs. Suad Abd Rabbo, a fourth-grade student, was shot above the knee on October 21 while standing in her school queue. Her mother, Aliaa Abd Rabbo, recounted the terrifying moments, describing how the bullet remains lodged near sensitive nerves and tendons, with doctors warning that its removal could cause paralysis. Suad requires surgery abroad, but exit restrictions from Gaza make this prospect uncertain.

“Suad is now deeply frustrated. She cries and asks: ‘Why did this happen to me? Why was I targeted? What did I do?’” Aliaa Abd Rabbo shared, detailing the family’s fear as Israeli tanks and military vehicles frequently open fire near their tent in northern Gaza.

Another incident on the same day saw a fifth-grade student, Amina Khader, sustain a minor abdominal injury from gunfire as students prepared for assembly at Muradiya School. The school’s principal, Naima Aloush, described the pervasive fear, noting that stray bullets and projectiles from Israeli artillery, drones, and snipers regularly hit the school. “Education is under fire, and our whole lives are under fire. At any moment, there can be gunfire. It is not light … it comes down like rain,” she stated, expressing her daily anxiety for her pupils and staff.

Amina’s father, Khaled Khader, described the absolute terror and psychological impact on his daughter, who has since become afraid to return to school. The constant gunfire and shelling near their home leave parents like Khaled in a dilemma: deprive their children of education or risk them being targeted.