Raghad Ashour, determined to study despite war and displacement, was killed before she could realize her dream of university.<\/b><\/p>\n
Gaza, Gaza Strip \u2013<\/b> A few days before his high school exams were due to begin, 17-year-old Raghad Ashour rejected a proposal from a girl; he decided to finish his studies first.<\/p>\n
On Monday morning, the Palestinian teenager left his family's makeshift tent in central Gaza City and headed for a nearby training center. He never arrived.<\/p>\n
Just a few meters from the center, the teenager was killed by an Israeli drone strike. At least five others were wounded in a double strike (where the first explosion is followed by a second one to target both rescue workers and civilians) that hit the Rimal neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201eDespite everything he went through, he was determined to attend his classes,\u201d his uncle Jamil Ashour told Middle East Eye as he greeted mourners. \u201eHe found a center near the camp and went there every morning. He studied hard and arrived early to make sure he had a desk and everything was ready for class. But he never made it to the center.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the third consecutive year, more than 658,000 school-age children in Gaza have been deprived of face-to-face education, with more than 97 percent of schools damaged or destroyed in Israeli attacks. The remaining schools are now being used as shelters for tens of thousands who have lost their homes in the bombing since October 2023.<\/p>\n
In response to the ongoing disruptions, the Palestinian Ministry of Education has implemented limited forms of distance learning, especially for graduating high school students. Lessons, materials, and guidance have been delivered through digital platforms, messaging apps, and, where possible, recorded or live broadcasts.<\/p>\n
However, online education is out of reach for many students. With much of Gaza's electrical and telecommunications infrastructure destroyed, homes and refugee camps have little or no electricity or internet connectivity.<\/p>\n
\u201eHe\u2019s just a kid. What does he have to do with all this?\u201d asked Jamil Ashour, Raghad\u2019s uncle.<\/p>\n
Lacking alternatives, students often rely on cafes and other community spaces that provide solar or fuel-powered generators to download course materials, charge phones, or take online exams.<\/p>\n
\u201eSometimes he faced difficulties: the lack of electricity, not being able to charge his phone when he got back to the tent, or when his phone broke,\u201d Ashour said. \u201eBut he never let these obstacles stop him. He grew up half-orphaned, and he realized that nothing could help him like a degree that would help him find a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n