DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Atef Al-Buhaisi, 6, once dreamed of a career building houses. Now, all he craves is to return to school.
In Israel’s war with Hamas, Atef’s home has been bombed, his teacher killed and his school in Nuseirat turned into a refuge for displaced people. He lives in a cramped tent with his family in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, where he sleeps clinging to his grandmother and fears walking alone even during the day.
Since the war erupted Oct. 7, all of Gaza’s schools have closed — leaving hundreds of thousands of students like Atef without formal schooling or a safe place to spend their days. Aid groups are scrambling to keep children off the streets and their minds focused on something other than the war, as heavy fighting continues across the enclave and has expanded into the southern city of Rafah and intensified in the north.
A new Democratic ad campaign targets one of Trump's most loyal blocs: Rural voters
China Wins 6th Straight Women's Beach Volleyball Gold at Asiad
Chinese Woman Astronaut Sets New Record
Woman Pursues Dreams in Countryside, Contributes to Rural Revitalization
NHS trust made 'number of failures' in treatment of six
China Wins Women's 4x100m Relay Gold at Asian Athletics Championships
Li Bingjie Wins Women's 400m Freestyle at Hangzhou Asiad
Three soccer players arrested over alleged match
Multiethnic Family's Virtues Nourish Younger Generations
Open letter before European Parliament election: Prioritize democracy as authoritarianism grows
Paralyzed Chinese Artist Experiences World Through Paint