Over 600,000 children in the Gaza Strip are deeply traumatized and living in rubble amid a devastating Israeli offensive, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday.
“Boys and girls around the region are going back to UNRWA schools except in Gaza,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.
“They continue to be deprived of learning + schooling. Half of them used to be in UNRWA schools.”
The Israeli army launched a brutal military offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing more than 40,700, mostly women and children, and injuring over 94,100 others.
“The longer children stay out of school, the higher the risk of a lost generation, fueling resentment and extremism,” Lazzarini warned.
The UNRWA chief said more than 70% of schools run by the UN agency in Gaza were destroyed or damaged.
“The vast majority of our schools are now overcrowded shelters with hundreds of thousands of displaced families. They cannot be used for learning,” Lazzarini said.
“With no cease-fire, children are likely to fall prey to exploitation,” he said, calling on the international community to prevent a repeat of what has occurred in other conflicts around the world.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.
“A cease-fire is a win for all: it will allow respite for civilians, the release of the hostages + a flow of much needed basic supplies including for learning,” Lazzarini said.
An ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
