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Gaza Strip conflict and civilian impact

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2026-09-26 11:42 UTC → 2026-09-26 18:51 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to inflict severe physical and psychological trauma on the civilian population, particularly children. UNICEF reports that over 11,000 children in Gaza have sustained severe, life-changing injuries, including limb amputations. Beyond immediate physical casualties, the region’s education system faces a massive crisis. While previous reports indicated over 165 schools and universities were destroyed, recent data shows that approximately 98% of schools in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. Despite this destruction, education is resuming under exceptional circumstances. For the 2026-2027 school year, which opened on September 19, 2026, approximately 541,000 students have returned to classrooms, marking the first resumption of face-to-face learning in nearly three years. To accommodate them, roughly 700 face-to-face learning sites have been prepared, though much instruction occurs in makeshift environments such as tents, ruins, or temporary structures where students often lack basic necessities like desks, ventilation, and stationery. Many remaining school structures are currently being utilized as shelters for displaced families or for humanitarian services. Consequently, students are attending classes in overcrowded tents and makeshift field learning points. These spaces often lack essential logistics, such as desks, chairs, books, and pens, forcing many pupils to sit on the ground. Some classes are reportedly highly crowded, containing between 50 and 70 students, raising concerns among parents and educators regarding safety and the effectiveness of learning. A notable development in this educational recovery is the reopening of the Sacred Family School, managed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The school has welcomed 1,005 students from kindergarten to high school, marking a return to regular classroom instruction after nearly three years of disruption. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the school’s parish priest, described the reopening as a moment of “profound emotion” for both children and parents. The humanitarian situation remains critical. Palestinian Civil Defense estimates that over 8,000 people remain missing under rubble, and UN agencies report that more than 630 bodies have been recovered from destroyed structures. Furthermore, aid efforts are facing significant hurdles; more than 900 wheelchairs donated by Australian charities are currently stuck in Jordanian warehouses due to Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip.

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