How the war in Gaza is depriving children of their right to an education

Special How the war in Gaza is depriving children of their right to an education
UN experts expressed concern about what they view as the systematic destruction of Gaza’s education system, which likely constitutes a grave violation of the rights of children prohibited under international humanitarian law. (AFP)
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Updated 03 September 2024
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How the war in Gaza is depriving children of their right to an education

How the war in Gaza is depriving children of their right to an education
  • Children in Gaza face the grim prospect of another year without schooling — unless a ceasefire is agreed soon
  • Almost 88 percent of Gaza’s schools have been damaged or destroyed under Israel’s relentless bombardment

LONDON: As schoolchildren around the globe prepare their backpacks for the new academic year, more than half a million pupils in Palestine’s embattled Gaza Strip face a second year in a row without an education.

Over the past year, some 625,000 children in Gaza have been deprived of schooling, according to the UN children’s fund, UNICEF. With little prospect of a permanent ceasefire, they are unlikely to return to schools this month.




August alone saw attacks on eight schools in Gaza City, killing more than 179 Palestinians and causing significant damage. (AFP)

Amal, whose name has been changed at her request, has been teaching her two children, aged 7 and 10, in their temporary shelter in Rafah. However, she says repeated exposure to traumatic events and the lack of stability have disrupted their learning.

“How can a child remember lines of poetry after a night of bombardment, screams and trembling?” Amal told Arab News. “Even our adult brains are faltering amid this chaos. How can a child learn and grow with an empty stomach and when their friends are likely to die any minute?”

The Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which saw more than 1,100 killed and 250 taken hostage, triggered the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has killed at least 40,700 people, 16,500 of them children, according to local health authorities.

Thousands more Gazan children remain missing, presumed buried under the rubble, while more than 12,000 have been injured — at least 1,000 of them having undergone leg amputations.

Those who have survived have been left without a safe place to learn or the means to return to education. The Global Education Cluster, co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children, estimates that as of March 30, some 87.7 percent of school facilities in Gaza had been destroyed.




Over the past year, some 625,000 children in Gaza have been deprived of schooling. (AFP)

According to the cluster, which made a damage assessment using satellite imagery, direct Israeli strikes have severely damaged 212 of the enclave’s schools and caused moderate to minor damage to a further 282.

Some 70 percent of the schools operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency have also suffered damage. However, since October, around 95 percent of these schools have been transformed into shelters for displaced households.

Attacks on schools are deemed a grave violation of children’s rights and are prohibited under international humanitarian law.

Israeli authorities have insisted they do not target civilians or civilian infrastructure, instead accusing Hamas of using schools and hospitals as command centers from which to launch attacks and using their occupants as human shields.

In August, the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services concluded that nine UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, while the records of 10 others are still being reviewed.

UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations — 13,000 of them in Gaza. The UN launched the investigation after Israel said in January that 12 UNRWA staff had taken part in the Oct. 7 attack. Seven more cases were brought to the UN’s attention in March and April.




Israeli strikes have severely damaged 212 of the enclave’s schools and caused moderate to minor damage to a further 282. (AFP)

The allegations against UNRWA led several major donor nations, including the US, to suspend funding for the agency, undermining relief efforts not only in Gaza and the West Bank but throughout the Middle East region where Palestinians hold refugee status.

In April, UN experts led by Farida Shaheed, the special rapporteur on the right to education, expressed concern about what appeared to be the systematic destruction of Gaza’s education system — already weakened by Israel’s 17-year embargo on the enclave.

“With more than 80 percent of schools in Gaza damaged or destroyed, it may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, an action known as ‘scholasticide,’” the experts said in a joint statement.

Scholasticide involves the organized destruction of the educational infrastructure and the killing of students, teachers and staff.

Gaza’s Ministry of Education said in August that at least 500 teachers had been killed in the hostilities, while more than 3,000 were injured.




Thousands more Gazan children remain missing, presumed buried under the rubble, while more than 12,000 have been injured. (AFP)

The UN experts said they believe the Israeli attacks on Gaza’s schools “are not isolated incidents” but part of “a systematic pattern of violence aimed at dismantling the very foundation of Palestinian society.”

August alone saw attacks on eight schools in Gaza City, killing more than 179 Palestinians and causing significant damage.

The deadliest of these strikes was on Al-Tabin School in Gaza City on Aug. 10. CNN confirmed that a US-manufactured GBU-39 small-diameter bomb was used in the attack, killing more than 100 of the roughly 2,400 Palestinian refugees sheltering there.

In a post condemning the attack on the social media platform X, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said: “Schools, UN facilities and civilian infrastructure are not a target.”

Calling for an immediate ceasefire, he wrote on the day of the attack: “Parties to the conflict must not use schools and other civilian facilities for military or fighting purposes.




At least 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.2 million-strong population have been displaced. (AFP)

“It’s time for these horrors unfolding under our watch to end. We cannot let the unbearable become a new norm. The more recurrent, the more we lose our collective humanity.”

To provide children with a shred of normality and respite from the daily horrors of the conflict, UNICEF and its partners in the Palestinian enclave have set up 48 learning tents in Khan Younis, the Middle Area, Gaza City and North Gaza.

The temporary spaces provided informal learning activities and mental health support to some 15,000 school-age children in July.

INNUMBERS

• 625,000 Children in Gaza deprived of an education since October 2023.

• 87.7% Schools damaged or destroyed by Israeli strikes across Gaza.

(Source: UNICEF, Global Education Cluster)

But despite the efforts of humanitarian organizations to offer temporary learning opportunities for Gaza’s children, the absence of a permanent ceasefire, repeated displacement, decimated infrastructure, and extremely limited access to basic necessities such as food, clean drinking water, and healthcare have hindered their ability to develop normally.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, underlined in June that more than 8,000 children in the embattled enclave have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition.

The WHO chief warned that “a significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.”




The international community has accused the Israeli government of using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war. (AFP)

More than 34 people, at least 28 of them children, have already died from severe malnutrition, Gaza’s health authority reported in late June.

The international community has accused the Israeli government of using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war.

In May, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of deliberately starving civilians.

The Israeli government has repeatedly denied the accusations. However, high-ranking officials, including Gallant himself, publicly stated their intention to deprive civilians in Gaza of food, water and fuel at the outset of the conflict last year.

At least 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.2 million-strong population have been displaced — many of them multiple times — as the Israeli military has evacuated Palestinian families from one “safe zone” to another. In the process, children have been deprived of the stability required for learning.




Gaza’s Ministry of Education said in August that at least 500 teachers had been killed in the hostilities, while more than 3,000 were injured. (AFP)

Save the Children warned in April that “when children are out of school for a long period, their learning does not just stop but is also likely to regress. We know from previous crises that the longer children are out of school, the greater the risk that they do not return.

“This risks their prospects in the longer-term, including their income, and their mental and physical health, while they may also be at greater risk from violence and abuse.”

 


US announces $424 mn in new aid for Sudanese at UN meeting

US announces $424 mn in new aid for Sudanese at UN meeting
Updated 8 min 8 sec ago
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US announces $424 mn in new aid for Sudanese at UN meeting

US announces $424 mn in new aid for Sudanese at UN meeting
  • The US ambassador to the United Nations made a new appeal to let assistance into El-Fasher
  • “We must compel the warring parties to accept humanitarian pauses,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield

UNITED NATIONS: The United States on Wednesday announced $424 million in new aid for displaced and hungry Sudanese at a high-level meeting on the country’s brutal war at the United Nations.
The US mission to the UN said the assistance includes $175 million with which the United States will buy surplus food from its own farmers to feed people in and around Sudan, where a UN-backed assessment has warned of wide-scale famine.
Addressing the event, the US ambassador to the United Nations made a new appeal to let assistance into El-Fasher, which has been besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as the paramilitary force seeks a complete takeover of the western Darfur region.
“We must compel the warring parties to accept humanitarian pauses in El-Fasher, Khartoum and other highly vulnerable areas, eliminate barriers to humanitarian access along all routes, and put down their weapons and come to the negotiating table,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Sudan plunged into a devastating war last year as the army battled the RSF.
The World Health Organization said this month at least 20,000 people have been killed. But some estimates are far higher, with the US envoy on Sudan, Tom Perriello, saying that up to 150,000 people may have died.


Iraq hangs 21 mostly on ‘terror’ charges: security sources

Iraq hangs 21 mostly on ‘terror’ charges: security sources
Updated 22 min 44 sec ago
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Iraq hangs 21 mostly on ‘terror’ charges: security sources

Iraq hangs 21 mostly on ‘terror’ charges: security sources
  • They were executed in Nassiriya prison, and the bodies were handed over to forensics

BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities have hanged at least 21 people, including a woman, most of them convicted over “terrorism” charges, three security sources told AFP on Wednesday.
“Twenty-one people were executed in terrorism cases,” an Iraqi security official told AFP, while other sources confirmed the convicts, including one woman, were executed in Nassiriya prison and the bodies were handed over to forensics.


UN Security Council falls short of meeting aspirations, says Arab League chief

UN Security Council falls short of meeting aspirations, says Arab League chief
Updated 32 min 1 sec ago
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UN Security Council falls short of meeting aspirations, says Arab League chief

UN Security Council falls short of meeting aspirations, says Arab League chief
  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit: It has become universally acknowledged that the Security Council, in its current form, no longer mirrors the realities of today’s world
  • Aboul Gheit: A glaring example of this is the months-long Israeli aggression against Gaza, marked by relentless killing, destruction, starvation and displacement

CAIRO: The current structure of the UN Security Council no longer reflects the realities of the modern world, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the Summit of the Future in New York City on Tuesday.

Speaking on the second day of the event, he said the council as it stood did not effectively fulfill its mandate in addressing contemporary conflicts.

“It has become universally acknowledged that the Security Council, in its current form, no longer mirrors the realities of today’s world. It has fallen short in serving the goals of multilateralism effectively and in addressing the conflicts that ravage our planet,” said Aboul Gheit.

“A glaring example of this is the months-long Israeli aggression against Gaza, marked by relentless killing, destruction, starvation and displacement, without the Council being able to take decisive action. Even when a resolution was eventually passed, regrettably, the Council has not been able to enforce it to this day.”

He added: “The current structure and performance of the Security Council do not align with our shared aspirations. We anticipate genuine and transparent reform that will restore confidence in the institution and reflect the realities of the modern world.”

Aboul Gheit stressed the urgent need to strengthen collaboration with the UN to address the root causes of the current crises in the Arab region and beyond.

He said: “I must emphasize that any reforms to the Security Council and international financial institutions must ensure that the Arab world has a consistent and influential voice in global decision-making processes.”

He emphasized that these global issues converged at a critical juncture — the need to preserve multilateralism and strengthen collective action on the international stage.

Among the most pressing concerns he highlighted were rising temperatures and climate change, the widening gap between the developing world and wealthier nations — particularly in relation to climate finance — and the equitable sharing of the burdens of climate adaptation. 

Aboul Gheit also pointed to the persistent crises of extreme poverty and mounting debt, as well as the serious challenges posed by emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, according to spokesman Gamal Roshdy.


Cyprus leader says he ready to resume peace talks ‘today’

Cyprus leader says he ready to resume peace talks ‘today’
Updated 40 min 58 sec ago
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Cyprus leader says he ready to resume peace talks ‘today’

Cyprus leader says he ready to resume peace talks ‘today’
  • “We cannot change geography. It is an opportunity, not a curse. Turkiye and Cyprus will always remain neighbors,” Nikos Christodoulides told the UN General Assembly
  • “I adamantly believe we can carve a new path, one of peace, cooperation and collaboration“

NICOSIA: Cyprus’s president said on Wednesday he was ready to immediately resume reunification talks over the ethnically divided island, urging regional rival Turkiye to also engage in the effort.
“We cannot change geography. It is an opportunity, not a curse. Turkiye and Cyprus will always remain neighbors,” Nikos Christodoulides said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“I adamantly believe we can carve a new path, one of peace, cooperation and collaboration,” he said.
Cyprus was split decades ago in a Turkish invasion after a brief Greek-inspired coup, and preceded by years of sporadic violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Reunification talks collapsed in mid-2017 and have been at a stalemate since.
A Turkish Cypriot breakaway state in northern Cyprus, backed only by Turkiye, wants a two-state deal where its sovereignty is recognized. Greek Cypriots say the only framework available is that defined by UN resolutions calling for reunification under a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
“I am committed and I am ready to sit at the negotiating table today. Not tomorrow. Today,” Christodoulides said.
Perched on the edge of the Middle East, the Cyprus problem is now massively overshadowed by the explosive situation of its neighbors.
Earlier this year the island became a bridge for delivering badly-needed humanitarian aid to Israel-beseiged Gaza in an initiative backed by the United Arab Emirates, the US and Israel. It has also offered to assist in an evacuation of civilians from the region if tensions escalate further.
Yet despite the grim outlook, Christodoulides said he would never accept the linear narrative of a region in turmoil.
“I have experienced first-hand what countries in the region can achieve when they come together behind a common vision,” he said.


Lebanese health minister says 51 killed, 223 wounded in latest round of Israeli strikes

Lebanese health minister says 51 killed, 223 wounded in latest round of Israeli strikes
Updated 25 September 2024
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Lebanese health minister says 51 killed, 223 wounded in latest round of Israeli strikes

Lebanese health minister says 51 killed, 223 wounded in latest round of Israeli strikes
  • The count comes on top of 564 who were killed and more than 1,800 wounded in the previous two days

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health minister said 51 people were killed and 223 wounded Wednesday in Israeli strikes.
The count comes on top of 564 who were killed and more than 1,800 wounded in the previous two days, including around 150 women and children.
Health Minister Firas Abiad did not give a breakdown of how many women and children were wounded Wednesday.
This week has been the deadliest in Lebanon since the bruising monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.