Fourteen-year-old Mohammed Hamad was walking home from a makeshift school in Deir el-Balah on October 17 when an Israeli strike targeted the road, cutting short the life of an eighth-grade student described by his father as both a son and a friend. As children in Gaza attempt to return to classrooms after years of war and disruption, Al Jazeera reported that they now face ongoing Israeli bombs and sniper fire on their daily journeys to and from school.
According to Al Jazeera, Mohammed's 10-year-old brother Abdullah survived the attack, but the tragedy has left the surviving brother deeply fearful of going to school alone. Riyad Hamad, the 44-year-old father, shared his grief from a family tent in Deir el-Balah, stating that the natural order of life has been upended when parents must bury their children.
Al Jazeera reported that the academic year in Gaza resumed on September 19 following nearly three years of disruptions caused by Israel's war. Despite a ceasefire established last October, Al Jazeera noted figures from the enclave’s Ministry of Health showing that Israel has since killed at least 1,574 Palestinians and injured 5,687 in Gaza.
Additional incidents documented by Al Jazeera include the deaths of ten children aged six to 16 and a teacher between October 18 and 24. Furthermore, a statement from the Ministry of Education cited by Al Jazeera reported that two girls were wounded during morning assembly at Muradiya School in Jabalia on October 21, alongside five other students who were also injured.
Background
According to Al Jazeera, the gradual return of children to makeshift classrooms and tents had initially offered families in Gaza a glimmer of hope for restoring normality after years of conflict. However, ongoing air raids and sniper fire have persisted despite the ceasefire established last October. The resumption of classes on September 19 marked the first time in years that education formally restarted in the enclave, bringing renewed vulnerability to students navigating damaged streets.
Why it matters
For ordinary readers, reports of children targeted while pursuing education highlight the severe human toll of protracted conflict on the youngest generation. The universal grief of parents losing their children resonates across borders, reminding communities everywhere of the fundamental fragility of safety and normal life during wartime.