Crisis Spotlight: Gaza

Crisis type(s): Armed conflict; food insecurity

Background

Palestine map

More than two years of relentless bombardment has left the education system in Gaza unrecognizable. Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, there have been unprecedented attacks on education in Gaza. The systematic and deliberate destruction of schools, universities, libraries, and other education infrastructure and targeted attacks on students and educators by the Israel Defense Forces have caused some international actors to label the situation in Gaza as ‘scholasticide.’

Damaged or destroyed education infrastructure, repeated forced displacements, power and internet outages, and the burdens placed on learners to help their families secure food, water, and firewood, have interrupted education for most school-age children and youth in Gaza. Many displaced children are learning in makeshift tents, or have no access to education at all. Even if education does resume, children and youth in Gaza are still estimated to experience a cumulative learning loss of up to six years. There is a real risk of leaving an entire generation of learners behind.

Over 660,000 Palestinian students have had their education interrupted for more than two academic years.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, since 7 October 2023, more than 17,237 school students, 1,271 university students, and 967 education staff in Gaza have been killed.
1 in 5 children in Gaza are acutely malnourished. Deteriorating humanitarian conditions and widespread food insecurity – as a result of the Israeli-imposed blockade – have led to a sharp rise in malnutrition rates, impairing learners’ physical and cognitive development and significantly diminishing their ability to concentrate and engage in learning.
As of 1 April, 2025, 95.2% of schools in Gaza have sustained damage, and 88.5% of school buildings require complete reconstruction or major rehabilitation.
There are 405 operational temporary learning spaces, serving around 226,400 learners. Despite this progress, demand remains extremely high, as current coverage represents only 34% of the school-aged population. The recent heavy rains have significantly affected the learning environment, with at least 25 temporary learning spaces affected, disrupting learning for 4,027 children.
Despite the October 2025 ceasefire, providing education remains challenging. Because teaching and learning materials are not considered ‘lifesaving humanitarian aid,’ education providers have struggled to get the materials into Gaza.

Key messages

Schools should never be targets for attack or used for military purposes. All parties to the conflict should take all possible measures, as required under international humanitarian law, to safeguard schools, teachers, and learners.
Immediate education and psychosocial support is needed for children and youth in Gaza. Education actors should prepare to resume appropriate education activities once there is a sustained ceasefire, paying close attention to children’s psychosocial, cognitive, and physical health and development. In the interim, education actors should implement alternative learning solutions - such as distance learning - so children can continue to learn while displaced.
Immediate health and nutrition support is needed for children and youth in Gaza. Providing healthy, nutritious meals at school leads to increased enrollment, retention, supports learners’ focus, and encourages parents and caregivers to send children back to school.
There has been catastrophic damage to the education system in Gaza. The majority of educational infrastructure (+90%) has been damaged or destroyed. Given the widespread damage to education infrastructure, significant funding and capacity will be needed to rebuild or restore access to pre-existing and more durable housing and education structures. In the interim, investment in temporary learning spaces will allow children to resume learning while educational structures are repaired or rebuilt.
Children, teachers, and caregivers need significant, long-term, and careful mental health and psychosocial support. The design of learning spaces should address and enhance the social and emotional wellbeing of children. Teachers should be trained to integrate social and emotional learning into lessons, as well as to identify signs of distress and refer learners to support professionals.
Significant human and financial resources are needed for long-term reconstruction and to meet immediate education, shelter and psychosocial needs. Donors need to recognize the interlinked relationship between schools, shelter and psychosocial recovery in Gaza, and to prioritize actions that restore access to education that supports social, emotional, and mental wellbeing as well as educational outcomes. Thus far, only 3% of the 104 million USD flash appeal for education has been funded.

Web events

World Refugee Day Spotlight: Gaza, displacement, and the right to education - 16 June, 2025. This webinar explored the challenging realities faced by learners and educators in Gaza, highlighting the severe disruptions to education caused by the ongoing conflict and forced displacement. Panelists discussed the role of the international community in upholding the right to education in conflict-affected settings, and will propose actions needed to protect and restore education for Gaza’s children.

Psychosocial Support for Students in Gaza - April 11, 2024. This webinar focused on supporting the psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza. Recognizing the unique position of schools and teachers in supporting the fundamental needs of children, this webinar aimed to raise awareness of the importance of targeted psychosocial support within educational settings. This webinar also served as a call for international attention and support for the right to education in Gaza, emphasizing actionable steps that can be taken to make a meaningful difference.

Understanding MHPSS and Situational Analysis in Gaza - March 5, 2024. This webinar aimed to foster a safe space to hold a conversation around the unprecedented MHPSS situation in Gaza and catalyze efforts to address the mental health and psychosocial needs of the population affected by the conflict. The webinar featured local voices and representatives from UNRWA, UNICEF, the Education Cluster, Creative Associates International, among others.

Protecting the Right to Education in Gaza - December 20, 2023. This webinar aimed to raise awareness and advocate for the protection of educational institutions and the right to education for Palestinian learners. It sheds light on the current challenges faced by educators and learners in Gaza. It is a call for international attention and support for the right to education in Gaza, along with recommendations for actionable steps to protect educational institutions, learners, and school personnel in conflict zones. Panelists included representatives from UNRWA, the Palestine Education Cluster, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), teachers in Gaza, and others.

Blog series

This blog series highlights examples of good practice and innovative education programming in Gaza. This blog series is an open space for sharing opinions, resources, developments, and discussions on topics relevant to education in Gaza. If you are interested in contributing a blog to this series, please reach out to [email protected].

Inclusive education in Palestine in the digital age: From educational equity to classroom practice. 1 April, 2026.
Learning to Love and Hate in Gaza. 25 February, 2026.
Redefining ‘lifesaving’: Prioritizing mental health, child protection, and education in Gaza. 5 February, 2026.
Education Under Fire: Shaping Education for Youth Futures in Gaza. 16 October 2025.
Attacks on Education in Palestine and Lebanon. 9 January, 2025.
Education in a time of genocide: scholasticide and the duty of humanitarians. 18 September, 2025.
Tents are not schools: Between dreams and displacement in Gaza. 29 September 2025.
Education under attack in Gaza, with nearly 90% of school buildings damaged or destroyed. 16 April, 2024.
Cinema creating opportunities for dialogue with children and young people in Gaza. 8 December, 2022.
The bombing on Gaza has stopped for now. 2 August, 2021.

Note: The opinions expressed in the blog posts included here are those of the respective authors; they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of INEE or its members.

Resources

The following resources support the provision of education, and the psychosocial support and wellbeing of learners, teachers, and those who have been affected by the conflict in Gaza. This list will be updated, as needed.

For information on the humanitarian response in affected areas, visit ReliefWeb. To suggest resources for this crisis, or to request a customized collection of resources relevant to another crisis, contact [email protected]. For EiE technical support, submit an INEE Help Desk request here.

Standards

INEE Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response, Recovery Arabic, English
Contextualized INEE Minimum Standards: occupied Palestinian territory Arabic, English
oPt Education Cluster - EiE Response Standards English
Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action Arabic, English
Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2022-2030 English
Guidelines for Protecting Schools from Military Use during Armed Conflict Arabic, English
INEE Guidance Note on Conflict Sensitive Education Arabic, English
Planning Education in and after Emergencies English

Teachers

Guide: What Teachers and Administrators Can Do to Protect Education from Attack English
INEE Guidance Note for Teacher Wellbeing in Emergency Settings Arabic, English
INEE Teacher Wellbeing Guidance Note - Contextualization for Palestine Arabic, English
PSS-SEL Distance Education Resources for Teachers Arabic, English
Youm Jadeed episodes and educational guidelines Arabic, English

Child Protection

Supporting Integrated Child Protection and Education Programming in Humanitarian Action English
Communicating with Children About Death and Helping Children Cope with Grief English
CPHA Frontliner Getting Started Learning Package Arabic, English
We Thrive, English
What Schools Can Do to Protect Education from Attack and Military Use English
Operational Guidance for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings Arabic, English

Psychosocial Support

INEE Guidance Note on Psychosocial Support Arabic, English
PSS-SEL Distance Education Resources for Teachers Arabic, English
Psychological First Aid: Dealing with Traumatic Responses in Children Arabic, English
Communicating with Children About Death and Helping Children Cope with Grief English
Psychological First Aid: Dealing with Traumatic Responses in Children Arabic, English
Doing What Matters in Times of Stress Arabic, English
How to talk to your children about conflict and war Arabic, English
Children's Education & MHPSS needs in oPt briefing (March 2024) English
Impact of the conflict on mental health and psychosocial support needs in Gaza English
Trapped and Scarred: The Compounding Mental Harm Inflicted on Palestinian Children in Gaza English
Thriving through Play: A mental health and psychosocial support classroom approach for educators in crisis-affected settings English, Arabic

Early Childhood Development

Early Childhood Development Kit for Emergencies English

Gender

Rapid Gender Analysis: Gendered Impacts of the October 2023 Escalation in Gaza English
INEE Guidance Note on Gender Arabic, English
EiE-GenKit Arabic, English

Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings Arabic, English

Inclusive Education

Accelerated and Nonformal Education

Pathways for the Return and Continuity of Learning: Gaza and West Bank Arabic, English
Catch-up Programmes: 10 Principles for Helping Learners Catch Up and Return to Learning Arabic, English
Accelerated Education Decision Tree Arabic, English
Accelerated Education 10 Principles for Effective Practice Arabic, English
Guidance on Condensing a Curriculum Arabic, English

Reports & Case Studies

Calls to Action

INEE exists for and because of its members. We will continue to advocate and respond to disruptions in education, and will actively support those working to ensure that this right is continually guaranteed to all.