WEB DESK: Toulin Al-Hindi, 7, attends school in the freezing cold on the floor of a crowded tent, her lessons disrupted by nearby gunfire and explosions from Israeli-controlled territory, less than 1,000 meters away. Despite the challenges, she feels thankful to be back in school after over two years of war.
She is among 400 children enrolled in the North Educational School, housed in blue plastic tents in the ruins of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, near the “yellow line” monitored by Israeli forces.
In one lesson, over a dozen girls sat on the floor in a small tent, bundled in sweaters and jackets, using wooden crates as desks. They happily chanted numbers as their teacher drew shapes on a chalkboard.
“Though we sit on the floor, I’m grateful we can go to school,” said Toulin. “During the war, there were no schools, and we were so bored.”
Her mother, Yasmine Al-Ajouri, spends her days worried. “I always tell her, ‘Be careful, stick to walls, and be quick on the road,’” she shared.
Since a ceasefire in October, Israel retains control over more than half of Gaza and restricts civilian access to other areas. Most of Gaza’s population of over 2 million is confined to one-third of the territory, living in tents and damaged buildings under a Hamas-led administration.
While major clashes have stopped, Israeli forces frequently fire on Palestinians near the yellow line, claiming they pose threats. Over 440 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, along with three Israeli soldiers. Palestinians accuse Israel of advancing into unoccupied territory by shifting boundary markers—a claim Israel denies.
At Toulin’s school, staff hear gunfire daily. “When it happens, we tell the children to lie down,” said Yara Abu Ghalweh, a school supervisor. “It’s not truly safe, but it’s all we can do.”
The conflict has taken over 71,000 Palestinian lives since Israel’s campaign began, following a Hamas-led October 7 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people, as per Israeli reports.
