(MENAFN) The United Nations agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, announced on Thursday that more than 650,000 children in the Gaza Strip remain without access to education for the third consecutive year.

“In Gaza, children are out of school for a third year in a row,” UNRWA stated on the social media platform X. "For nearly 660,000 girls and boys, returning to learning is not only about education, it’s about starting to heal from deep trauma."

As Gaza’s largest humanitarian entity, UNRWA emphasized its commitment to supporting these children during this prolonged crisis.

Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director for external relations, highlighted the urgency, saying, "A priority for UNRWA is the education for children and the resumption of learning for children."

The education crisis follows a devastating wave of Israeli military operations since October 2023, which have resulted in nearly 68,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, predominantly women and children, and left much of the territory unlivable.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), these attacks have partially or fully destroyed 97% of Gaza’s school infrastructure.

Last week, a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Hamas, framed around a plan introduced by US President Donald Trump. The initial phase involves the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with future steps aiming at Gaza’s reconstruction and the installation of a governing authority excluding Hamas.

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