Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
After more than 10 months of Israeli bombardment that destroyed much of Gaza, including schools and education authorities, parents are wondering whether they will be able to get their children back into class for the new academic year.
The estimated 630,000 pupils in the Palestinian enclave have been denied access to education over the past year as Israel's bombardment and ground offensive has forced much of the population to flee from one place to another in search of safety, with many families struggling to find proper shelter, food and water.
Schools were turned into shelters for displaced people, with many being struck by Israel in what it said were attacks on militant groups there.
We lost everything, not just an educational year, but we must save our children from ignorance
Haneen Abu Zer,
displaced Gazan
The Palestinian Ministry of Education, based in the occupied West Bank, said on Tuesday that 186 schools in Gaza had been severely damaged or completely destroyed during the war.
Despite this, on Sunday it announced it had decided to resume classes in Gaza "from tents and through online education" for the academic year starting on September 9. But with the war still raging, a spokesman for the government media office in Gaza said it was impossible to make such plans.
“Currently it’s not possible to discuss any plans from the education authorities in Gaza because there is no capacity to hold any meeting or consult on details,” Salama Marouf told The National.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) which runs schools in the strip, said it had no plans to begin formal education at its centres.
“We don’t have any new update regarding the start of the educational year and we only started, since the first of August, entertainment activities for students as non-formal education,” the agency's spokeswoman, Inas Hamdan, told The National.
Parents such as Rasha Yahya, 31, are more alarmed by the impact of the war on their children. “It's not just about them missing out on their education; the children in Gaza have lost their peace of mind, all their memories, their games and their comfortable lives," Ms Yahya, who has a seven-year-old daughter, told The National.
Ms Yahya said she does not imagine it will be easy for life to return to what it was before the war.
“The children need a massive programme, supported by the Ministry of Education and UNRWA, to help them regain some of their pre-war lives and reintegrate into the educational process as it was before it began," she said.
Seeing the effect that the violence has had on her child, Ms Yayha suggested the next school year be filled with activities and games that support children's psychological state to help them process what they have been through.
In-person learning, she said, is also more vital now than ever. “I'm also against online education, even if the internet and electricity were available, because it will never be like in-person education, which can improve a child's behaviour and correct the bad habits and ideas they've picked up during the war."
Mounes Youssef, 38, a father of five from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, said pupils will need mental and emotional preparation for the new school year because of the duress that they had been under during bombardment.
“The children need a lot of psychological support and rehabilitation, and the Ministry of Education should take these factors into account," Mr Youssef said.
"Sending students directly back into the educational process without proper rehabilitation and effective awareness won't be suitable at all."
Mr Youssef lost his home in this war, and several of his relatives. Some of his children's friends were also killed in the war.
“We lived in UNRWA schools as displaced people for over two months, moving from one house to another," he said. "The children's memories of school and education have faded, and their days have become filled with fetching water, searching for food at charity kitchens and dealing with other daily survival challenges.”
Mr Youssef said he felt his children were not ready to go back to school and needed to be reacclimatised before classes could begin.
Haneen Abu Zer, 28, believes the decision to commence education is important for her two children who are in kindergarten and first grade.
But similar to Mr Youssef, she does not think her children are ready to start studying, something she found out by trying to teach them herself.
"I tried to teach my daughter how to write and read, but I failed because she’s in first grade, and this educational stage requires specialists," she told The National.
Ms Abu Zer is originally from Gaza city, but now lives in Al Zawaida, in the southern Gaza Strip, where she has been displaced. She hopes the war will end soon so she can return to her home and normal life. "We lost everything, not just an educational year, but we must save our children from ignorance," she said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tiger%20Stripes%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amanda%20Nell%20Eu%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zafreen%20Zairizal%2C%20Deena%20Ezral%20and%20Piqa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
more from Janine di Giovanni
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More on animal trafficking
The%20trailblazers
%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
