In a televised statement broadcast by the agency on the X platform, Abu Hasna said that UNRWA "has developed plans to resume education after a two-year hiatus," explaining that "approximately 10,000 students will receive their education in some shelters, while the remaining students will be taught via virtual learning," with the participation of more than 8,000 teachers.
He stressed that the continued disruption of education is no longer possible after years of war and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left thousands of children unable to read and write.
Education in Gaza has been suspended since October 7, 2023, following the outbreak of the Israeli aggression. Most UNRWA and government schools were converted into shelters, and a large number were completely or partially destroyed.
According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Education as of September 16, the Israeli occupation destroyed 172 public schools and bombed 118 others, in addition to targeting more than 100 UNRWA schools. The war also resulted in the deaths of 17,711 students, 25,897 others, and the killing of 763 teaching staff and wounding of more than 3,000.
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In another context, Abu Hasna pointed out that Israel "is preventing large quantities of the agency's humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip," stressing that UNRWA is "ready to distribute food supplies and operate 22 central clinics in the Strip," but Israeli restrictions are impeding the arrival of essential supplies such as medicine, blankets, shelter materials, and winter clothing.
He explained that "about 95% of the Gaza Strip's population depends on humanitarian aid after losing their sources of income," warning of a "serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation," with hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in the open after returning to Gaza City following the ceasefire agreement that went into effect on October 10.
Abu Hasna stressed that "the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza is an urgent necessity before the onset of winter," calling on the international community to intervene immediately to alleviate the suffering of the population.
With American support, Israel has been perpetrating a two-year genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 67,967 dead and 170,179 wounded, most of them children and women, and causing a famine that claimed the lives of 463 Palestinians, including 157 children. This was before a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement was reached as part of a plan presented by US President Donald Trump, which entered into force on October 10.
