Opinion: In Gaza, children are learning the alphabet through grief and hunger

On the evening of Friday, 6 October 2023, my aunt Doaa, a kindergarten teacher in Gaza, had just finished preparing new activities for her students. She was excited to see their reactions the next morning.

Tragically, the next day, 7 October, marked the end of any semblance of normal life and the beginning of a war that shattered everything.

Since then, Israeli air strikes have pounded every corner of Gaza - homes, hospitals, schools, and even kindergartens have not been spared.

Doaa's house was reduced to a heap of rubble, burying her teaching materials and the toys she had bought for her students - children who deserved to live.

Read more: In Gaza, children are learning the alphabet through grief and hunger