GAZA and LONDON — Ten-year-old Yahya Al-Ghazali eagerly raises his hand in class, his eyes shining with excitement as he waits to be chosen to answer a question. After responding, he beams at his teacher’s praise.
This classroom, however, is unlike most. It is set up in a tent made of tarpaulin and plywood. There are no windows, the floor is just bare sand, and the desks are squeezed closely together.
Despite the conditions, this makeshift school is in high demand. It is one of the few places in Gaza where, after a year of war, children can still receive an education. An ABC News analysis found that at least 70% of schools in Gaza—399 buildings—have been damaged or destroyed since the Israel-Hamas War began on October 7, 2023. As a result, around 625,000 children have not been able to attend school, according to the United Nations. This is not only due to school destruction; many schools have closed due to chaos, or they are being used as shelters for displaced families. Some parents choose to keep their children with them for safety, while others have been displaced so frequently that they no longer know where to find schools.
“No child is getting the education they need,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder in an interview from Gaza. “We risk losing a generation despite the best efforts of parents and UNICEF.”
Elder warned that such a loss would be disastrous not just for Gaza, but for the entire region. Education has always been a priority for Gazans. “Many people outside Gaza don’t realize that Gazans have one of the highest literacy rates in the world,” Elder noted. “The reason Gaza hasn’t collapsed is the importance its people place on education.”
According to a UN press release from January 2023, Palestine’s literacy rate was 97.7%. This emphasis on education is why Yahya and about 30 other children are crammed into the small tent in Deir al Balah, learning English, Arabic, and mathematics.
“Education is very important to us in Gaza,” said Yahya’s mother, Huda Alian, 32. She encourages her son to attend the temporary school to help him remember what he has already learned.
However, alongside Yahya’s eagerness to learn, there is also a visible sadness in his eyes.
“The war took away everything I love,” he said. “It took my home, my toys, my room, my friends, and my school. I don’t like how I look because I can’t wear the nice clothes I used to. I’m tired of filling water every day and waiting for hours.”
Yahya’s life, like many others in Gaza, has been completely turned upside down by the conflict that began a year ago when Hamas launched attacks into Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and about 250 hostages taken. In retaliation, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, with many casualties being women and children. Aid agencies emphasize that children have been particularly affected by the war.
“When UNICEF called this a war on children, we didn’t do it for a headline,” Elder stated. “We mean it because the evidence supports it. The impact on children is disproportionate compared to other conflicts, both in injuries and deaths.”
Elder described the number of children killed as “insane,” questioning, “How can parents keep their children safe?”
“There comes a moment when children look into their parents’ eyes and realize that their parents can’t protect them. That’s a horrifying moment for parents,” he added.
Yahya’s father, Mahmoud Al-Ghazali, simply stated, “They have lost their childhood.”
The Al-Ghazali family moved from Gaza City at the beginning of the conflict and have been displaced three times, now living in a tent in Deir al Balah.
“Our children’s lives have shifted from calm and stability to chaos and destruction,” said Yahya’s mother.
Mahmoud Al-Ghazali explained that the school Yahya previously attended in Gaza City was hit by a missile in late September.
“He lost his friends and classmates,” his father said. “Now he is in a state of sadness and shock.” Despite the turmoil, Yahya finds some comfort in his tent classroom.
“I go to the educational tents to learn something useful,” he said. However, he added, “I miss my books and studying with my classmates. I don’t want to stay in this tent forever.”
Yahya expressed his hopes, saying, “I want the war to end and for me to return to my normal life.”
The war’s impact is also evident in the face of another child, Lana, who has also lost many loved ones. She was particularly heartbroken over the death of a close friend. Lana’s mother, 30-year-old Jihan Hamed Abu Nahl, shared that her daughter is often distressed, asking when the war will end and why all this destruction is happening in Gaza.
“They are very anxious and sometimes cry for no reason at night,” Jihan said about Lana and her two sisters. “They wake up from nightmares, telling me they saw a missile falling on the tent, and that we died.”
ABC News has spoken with many children in Gaza throughout this conflict, and they all express how much they miss school. Eleven-year-old Salma Abu Odah is one of them. Unlike Yahya and Lana, Salma is attending classes in one of the few schools still operational in Deir al Balah, although it also shelters those displaced by the war.
“I miss school very much and my classmates even more,” Salma said, longing for her life to return to normal. “When the war ends, I will go and sit on the rubble of my house and search for my things.”
“My dream is for the war to end so we can go home, rebuild, and live in peace,” Salma added with a nervous smile.
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