Fourteen-year-old Mohammed Hamad was walking home from his makeshift school in Deir el-Balah when an Israeli strike hit the road on October 17. He had finished his eighth-grade classes and was travelling through the al-Baraka neighbourhood with his 10-year-old brother, Abdullah, when the blast killed him and another man.
His father, Riyad Hamad, said Mohammed was an exceptional student and a close friend. Speaking from the family tent, the 44-year-old father stated that the loss was impossible to comprehend. The surviving brother, Abdullah, is now terrified of going to school and fears losing his father too.
The academic year in Gaza resumed on September 19 after nearly three years of disruptions from the war. Makeshift classrooms and tents offered families a brief sense of normality, but Israeli air raids and sniper fire have persisted despite a ceasefire established in October of last year.
The enclave’s Ministry of Health reported that Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,574 Palestinians and injured 5,687 in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. Ten children aged six to 16 and one teacher were killed between October 18 and 24 alone.
The Ministry of Education called for urgent international action to protect students and educational institutions after a series of violent incidents. Two girls were wounded during a morning assembly at Muradiya School in Jabalia on October 21. Five students were also injured, some critically, in an attack on the Islamic University campus in Gaza City.
The danger is severe near the Yellow Line, a dividing zone that separates Israeli and Palestinian control. According to the United Nations, the line has shifted westward, giving Israel control over more than 65 percent of Gaza. At least 66 Palestinian children have been killed near this zone.
On October 21, fourth-grade student Suad Abd Rabbo was shot on her way to school. The bullet struck her above the knee and remains lodged near her nerves and tendons because doctors warned that removing it could cause paralysis. Her mother, Aliaa Abd Rabbo, said Suad now cries and asks why she was targeted.
Muradiya School principal Naim Aloush described the moment Suad and another student, Amina Khader, were hit during morning assembly. Bullets and projectiles from Israeli artillery, drones, and snipers frequently strike the school, which consists of 20 tents serving about 1,000 pupils.
Aloush stated that education and daily life in the area are constantly under fire. She explained that she arrives at the school every day with fear for the safety of her students and staff. Parents have rushed to collect their children after such attacks, leading to a marked increase in absenteeism.
