The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday that more than 650,000 children in the Gaza Strip have been deprived of education for the third year in a row.
“Children in Gaza have been out of school for the third year in a row,” UNRWA said on the US-based social media platform X.
“For nearly 660,000 girls and boys, returning to school means not only an education, but also the beginning of a healing process from deep trauma.”
As the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza, UNRWA stands ready to support these children, the statement added.
Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director of external relations, stressed that UNRWA’s priority is to educate children and restore learning.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, rendering the area almost uninhabitable.
The attacks have partially or completely destroyed 97 percent of school buildings in Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
A ceasefire agreement was reached last week between Israel and Hamas, based on a plan presented by US President Donald Trump. The first phase includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the plan also calls for the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of a new governance mechanism without Hamas.
