The Palestinian Ministry of Education in Gaza reported that Israeli forces killed a third-grade student, Ritaj Abdul‑Rauf Reehan, 9, on Thursday while she was attending class inside a makeshift tent school in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.
The ministry described the killing as a “gruesome and shocking crime,” carried out in full view of her classmates.
In its statement, the ministry said Ritaj was struck by Israeli gunfire while seated in her classroom at the Abu Obeida Ibn al-Jarrah School. Teachers and students were left in a state of severe psychological trauma as the tent-based learning space turned into a scene of panic and fear.
The ministry stressed that this was not an isolated incident but part of a sustained pattern of attacks on the education sector over more than two and a half years of ongoing Israeli bombings.
It noted that tens of thousands of Palestinian children have been killed during this period, while the vast majority of Gaza’s educational infrastructure has been destroyed or rendered unusable.
The Ministry of Education held Israel fully responsible for the killing of Ritaj and for all previous and future violations, adding that continued international silence amounts to complicity.
It called for urgent and effective international action to stop attacks on civilians—especially children—and demanded independent international investigations to ensure accountability without exception. The ministry also urged the global community to uphold its legal and moral obligations toward civilians in Gaza.
Education System Collapse
Since the start of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023, formal education has been entirely suspended. Hundreds of schools have been destroyed, and those still standing have been converted into overcrowded shelters for displaced families. As a result, nearly 700,000 students have been deprived of their right to education.
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Displaced children now attend improvised classes led by volunteer teachers in crowded tents across several areas.
Despite the devastation, families and educators continue to push for some form of learning, even as these temporary classrooms face severe challenges, including harsh weather, a lack of basic resources, and ongoing security threats.
New Casualties Amid Ongoing “Ceasefire” Violations
Medical sources reported that five Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip on Thursday. Two were killed in the southern region, while three others were killed in the north.
Despite the “ceasefire” agreement, Israeli forces continue to carry out violations through shelling and live fire.
Since the “ceasefire” took effect on October 11, 2025, these violations have resulted in 738 Palestinians killed and 2,036 injured. The bodies of an additional 759 Palestinians were recovered from the rubble of bombarded buildings.
The ceasefire was reached after two years of a devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza, backed by the United States.
The genocide has continued in various forms and has left more than 72,317 Palestinians killed and more than 172,158 injured, while destroying approximately 90% of the Strip’s infrastructure.
