Priests Against Genocide hold shroud with names of children killed in Gaza

Gaza students have returned to makeshift schools after three years of Israeli genocide, which has deprived them of a formal education. The first day of the 2026 school year saw hundreds of thousands of children attending classes in tents amid destroyed buildings and shortages. Akram Helles, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy, is among those excited to be back in the classroom after being out of education for long periods during the war.

His father, Mohammad Helles, expressed relief that Akram has been able to join a real school. However, the schools they return to are far from ideal. Around 98 percent of schools in the Gaza Strip have been damaged, many turned into shelters for displaced Palestinians, making regular schooling impossible. The Ministry of Education has set up limited classroom spaces in shelters and tents, but these lack basic facilities like desks and chairs.

Students now follow a rotational schedule, attending classes only three days a week due to a shortage of classroom capacity. While some families are relieved to have enrolled their children in free public schools, many others are still unable to find suitable places, with high prices and lack of income making it difficult to meet basic needs.