Gaza Catholic School Reopens After Three Years

Schools across Gaza are reopening after nearly three years of war, with thousands of children returning to heavily damaged buildings, tent classrooms and other makeshift facilities. About 85% of Gaza’s schools have reportedly been damaged, forcing many students to study without desks or chairs and leaving families facing higher costs for supplies and clothing. Holy Family School, attached to Gaza’s only Catholic parish, has also reopened for about 1,000 students after serving as a shelter for more than 450 displaced people. Most of its students are Muslim, while roughly 130 Christian children—about 13% of enrollment—will attend alongside them, making it the only reopened Christian school in Gaza. School officials and church leaders describe the reopening as a source of safety, community and hope, while acknowledging severe shortages of educational materials and the continuing destruction surrounding students and their families.