despite the threat of an Israeli offensive, a school in Rafah continues to welcome hundreds of students

In the still preserved areas of the Gaza Strip, the specter of an Israeli offensive frightens the displaced people who, despite the threat, survive and adapt. Example in this small school in the west of Rafah, which has been welcoming around 250 students for three months.

The war is now in Rafah but life continues in the north and west of the city, despite the entry of Israeli tanks on Monday May 6, the still heavy bombings and the ground presence of special forces in the South.

The children’s cries drown out the incessant whir of Israeli observation drones. The classrooms at Al Nour, a small school in western Rafah, were carefully constructed with sheet metal and a wooden frame. The students are between 6 and 12 years old and have all been displaced in the city for several months. “I like going to school and I love following the lessonsexplains Nabila, originally from the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City. But I want the war to end and to go home. I hope people who lost everything can live in a better place.”

“We risk being bombed, we are not safe”

Nabila wants to become a doctor, like Ahmed and the majority of their comrades. Recent vocations, born in the hell of combat. “This situation is dangerous. We risk being bombed. We are not safe. I don’t want anything, I just want the war to end so that everyone can find their homes, their homes, like before.”

For three months, the school has welcomed nearly 250 children, mornings and afternoons. Teachers offer lessons in English, literature, mathematics and science. They work as if the war were far away, while Israeli tanks are less than 10 kilometers away. Amar Abu Darabi is displaced from Beit Lahiya, in the north of the enclave. He initiated the project financed by British funds. “We hope that the school can expand to accommodate even more students”he explains

“We have enough land to accommodate 10, 12 or maybe 14 classes. And then we hope to return home to be able to rebuild the infrastructure.”

Amar Abu Darabi

at franceinfo

Four classes are operating at the moment but the needs of families are exploding. According to the school director, at least five times more are needed.