Palestinian children killed, wounded near schools in Gaza despite ceasefire, families say

The academic year resumed in Gaza on September 19 after nearly three years of disruption driven by the war. The gradual return of children to school had offered families some hope of a return to normal life. Families and educators say that normalcy remains out of reach, with deadly violence continuing around schools.

On October 17, Mohammed Hamad, 14, an eighth-grade student, was walking home from a makeshift school in Deir el-Balah with his younger brother when an Israeli strike targeted the road he was travelling along. Mohammed was killed. His father Riyad Hamad told Al Jazeera the boy was a top student and a cherished friend, and that Mohammed's brother is now terrified of going to school on his own.

Ten children aged from six to 16 and a teacher were killed between October 18 and 24. The Ministry of Education called for urgent international action to protect schools. At least 66 Palestinian children have been killed close to the Yellow Line, the ceasefire boundary.

On October 21, Suad Abd Rabbo, a fourth-grade student, was shot in the leg while standing in a queue at Muradiya School for Girls in Jabalia. A bullet remains lodged near her knee, and doctors have warned that attempting to remove it could cause paralysis. Suad's mother, Aliaa Abd Rabbo, said she regretted returning home from the south. Israeli tanks and military vehicles regularly open fire near their tent. Suad is unable to walk and frustrated, her mother told Al Jazeera, repeatedly asking why she was targeted.

Another student, Amina Khader, was injured in the same incident. Her father Khaled Khader said the shooting left his daughter in shock, and that she is now afraid of the school itself. Her family tried taking her back once, but she left early, unable to bear the sound of gunfire. Naim Aloush, the school's principal, told Al Jazeera that stray bullets and projectiles from Israeli quadcopter drones, artillery and snipers hit the school grounds regularly. "Education is under fire, and our whole lives are under fire," she said.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed and 5,687 injured in the enclave since the ceasefire was established. The United Nations reports that the Yellow Line has moved westward, giving Israel control of more than 65 percent of the territory, up from 53 percent at the time of the agreement. The risks are particularly high for schools located near the shifting boundary.