Students in Gaza Resume Classes Inside Tents Near the “Yellow Line”

SadaNews (Reuters Report) - Despite receiving lessons while sitting on the ground in the biting cold inside a crowded tent from a teacher interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and recurring explosions from areas controlled by Israel less than a thousand meters away, Tulin Al-Hindi feels happy to finally return to school after more than two years of interruption due to the war.

Tulin (seven years old) is one of about 400 children learning at the "Northern Educational School," a temporary school established in blue plastic tents on the rubble in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, and located within sight of the "Yellow Line" controlled by Israeli forces, according to a report by Reuters.

More than 12 girls sat on the ground in two rows inside a single small tent, wearing puffy jackets for warmth and placing their notebooks in front of them on wooden boxes that serve as tables, cheerfully repeating what the teacher says as she draws shapes on the board.

Tulin said, "True, we are not sitting on chairs or anything, but thank God we are back in school. We have been sitting in the war for a long time with no schools, feeling bored like this. We want schools to read and write in so we can grow up and be smart."

Her mother, Yasmin Al-Ajouri, expressed concern every time Tulin goes to school until she returns home.

Yasmin tells her daughter as she heads to school: "Be careful (watch out), stay close to the wall, hurry on the way."

Safety is in the hands of God

Under the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since October, Israel still occupies more than half of Gaza and prevents civilians from accessing other areas. Nearly all buildings in areas controlled by Israel have been leveled, and residents have been displaced.

This leaves more than two million residents with only about one-third of the Gaza Strip, most of whom reside in temporary tents and damaged buildings, where some aspects of life return under the administration led by Hamas.

Although major fighting and intense bombing have ceased, Israel has repeatedly fired upon Palestinians whom it accuses of approaching the yellow line, claiming it aims to eliminate threats to its forces. More than 440 Palestinians have been killed since the October agreement took effect, while militants have killed three Israeli soldiers. Palestinians claim that Israeli forces are moving some of the yellow concrete markers westward, thereby exceeding areas that are supposed to be outside their control. Israel denies this.

Workers at Tulin's school report hearing gunfire daily.

Yara Abu Gluwa, a supervisor at the Northern Educational School, said: "Every day there is gunfire, and if not for God's mercy, there would be two or three injuries every day. We taught the kids that as soon as we hear shooting and feel it... we take the lying position. This is of course not safe, and safety is in the hands of God... but this is what we have here."

Health authorities in Gaza reported that the Israeli military operation has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 people.

The war erupted following an attack led by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli statistics indicate that this attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people.