In Beit Lahiya, students are attending improvised classes inside fragile tents erected in a dangerous area designated by the Israeli regime as a “yellow zone,” just meters from its military positions.
In a small tent overshadowed by the sound of nearby gunfire, seven-year-old Tulin prepared for her first day of school in two years.
For most children, such a moment would bring excitement, but for Tulin and her mother it has become an episode marked by fear.
The relentless Israeli regime war has devastated most of Gaza’s educational infrastructure, forcing displaced families to establish “tent schools” in areas exposed to constant danger.
“Until my daughter gets to school, I honestly walk with my heart in my hand,” Tulin’s mother told Al Jazeera correspondent Shady Shamieh.
“Many times, I find myself involuntarily following her until she reaches the school. I feel there is something [dangerous], but I want her to learn,” she added.
“If not for this situation, she would be in second grade now. But we are determined.”
Meanwhile, the journey to class itself has become a daily ordeal.
Walking through the rubble of Beit Lahiya, Tulin said she is terrified of the exposed streets.
“When I go to school, I am afraid of the shooting,” Tulin said.
“I can’t find a wall to hide behind so the shelling or stray bullets don’t hit us.”
Inside the tents, there is no real protection, as thin canvas walls offer no barrier against bullets.
Students sit on the ground, persisting with their lessons despite the constant threat.
Their teacher described a routine in which education is repeatedly interrupted by sniper fire from nearby Israeli regime forces.
“The location is difficult, close to the occupation [forces],” the teacher said.
“When the shooting starts, we tell the children: ‘Take the sleeping position.’”
“I get goosebumps, praying to God that no injuries occur. We make them lie on the ground until the shooting stops.”
“We have been exposed to gunfire more than once,” she added.
“Despite this, we remain. The occupation’s policy is ignorance, and our policy is knowledge.”
Among the students is Ahmed, who lost his father during the war.
“We come with difficulty and leave with difficulty because of the shooting,” he told Al Jazeera.
“But I want to fulfil the dream of my martyred father, who wanted to see me become a doctor.”
Separately, humanitarian agencies say the psychological toll of the Israeli regime war is becoming increasingly visible.
UNICEF and its partners have established 109 temporary learning centers serving around 135,000 students across Gaza.
However, UNICEF spokesperson Abu Khalaf said field teams have documented severe developmental regression among children.
He said the situation requires “redoubled efforts” from education and mental health specialists.
Gaza’s education sector is also facing a near-total blockade on basic supplies.
Abu Khalaf said that since the war began in October 2023, almost no educational materials have been allowed into the Strip.
“The biggest challenge, in truth, is that … almost no learning materials have entered Gaza at all,” he said.
Meanwhile, UNICEF is preparing to launch a “Back to Learning” campaign targeting 200,000 children.
The program will focus on Arabic, English, math and science, alongside recreational activities aimed at “repair[ing] the children’s psyche before anything else”.
However, Abu Khalaf said any such initiative depends on the Israeli regime lifting its restrictions.
“We are communicating with all parties, including the Israeli side, to allow the entry of learning materials,” he said.
“It is not in anyone’s interest for a child in Gaza not to go to school.”