21 September :Direct classroom education has resumed in the Gaza Strip amid the devastation caused by nearly three years of war. On Saturday, 19 September, the 2026–27 academic year began with students attending classes in temporary classrooms, tents and tin shelters. Despite extensive damage to educational infrastructure and severe shortages of essential supplies, students expressed joy at returning to school.
According to UNICEF, around 98 per cent of school buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict. Education officials estimate that around 660,000 children were deprived of regular access to in-person schooling for an extended period because of the war.
Ibrahim Ramadan, director of education in Khan Younis, said at least 22,000 students and more than 770 education workers, including 532 teachers, have been killed in Israeli attacks. Against this backdrop, he described the reopening of schools as a fragile beginning filled with hope.
For Khan Younis student Moayad Abu Mustafa, returning to school marked the end of a long wait. After nearly three years, he was able to return to the classroom. He described the first day of the new academic year as a moment of happiness and an opportunity to move forward.
But his classroom is very different from the one he remembers. In intense heat, Moayad has to sit on the floor of a tent with inadequate ventilation. He has no new notebooks or pens and does not even have a good pair of shoes. He has also lost many of his playmates during the war. Despite the hardships, Moayad said he and other students would continue their studies under the tents.
Fifteen-year-old Samar Abu Salmi is also living in a tent with her displaced family. After studying for a long time through a mobile phone screen, she has now been given the opportunity to sit in front of teachers again. Standing in the compound of a temporary school, Samar said that even if she has to move from one tent to another, she wants to continue studying to fulfil her dreams.
Recalling her education before the war, Samar said notebooks, pens, school uniforms and other essential supplies were readily available and relatively inexpensive.
Gaza’s Ministry of Education, with support from international and local organisations, has launched the new academic year amid the rubble. Temporary schools have been constructed using tarpaulins, steel, wood and tents. Some have been set up directly on sandy ground, while others have little more than a blackboard and a few mattresses as educational equipment. Displaced families are still living in the temporary buildings of some educational institutions.
Fourteen-year-old Yamen Abu Samra said that before the war, going to school was a source of happiness. Now, he has to think about the possibility of gunfire, rockets and attacks while travelling to school. He is also attending classes inside a tent in extreme heat.
According to education officials, at least 540,000 students are expected to receive in-person education this academic year at temporary schools and learning centres with support from UNICEF. Online education will also continue for children who cannot attend school or have left Gaza.
However, efforts to restore educational activities are facing numerous challenges. Local businessman Khaled Alyan complained that disruptions to the supply of educational materials and other goods have caused prices to rise sharply. He said a notebook that previously sold for three shekels, or about $1, now costs 15 shekels. According to him, the prices of most essential goods have become unaffordable for ordinary people.
Israel’s military coordination body, COGAT, did not comment on reports concerning restrictions on educational supplies or attacks on schools. Israel has long maintained that Hamas uses schools for military activities, an allegation Hamas has repeatedly rejected.
The report further said that although large-scale fighting has temporarily eased following a ceasefire, Gaza’s crisis remains unresolved. More than 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip is reportedly under the control of Israeli forces. Palestinian authorities claim that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.