Palestinian pupil Mariam al-Habbash is worried about the prospect of spending yet another cold winter semester in a cluster of rusty caravans that make up her school in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The pupils in Gaza are worried about cold winter under the rusty metal ceiling of the caravan school. Meanwhile, another Gazan school face Israeli fire which seemed random and causeless and wounded serioudly a 17 years-old student.
Palestinian pupil Mariam al-Habbash is also worried about the prospect of spending yet another cold winter semester in a cluster of rusty caravans that make up her school in the Gaza Strip.
Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza two years ago and its restrictions made things worse including schools.
"In summer we melt inside the caravans and in winter it is cold and the ceiling leaks," said the veiled 15-year-old.
Habbash’s school is located in the village of Mawasi that neighbours the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and overlooks the border with Egypt, Reuters reported.
Teachers and students at the school complained that Palestinian leaders failed to make good on promises to build concrete classrooms because of Israeli blockade imposed on the impoverished territory.
Human rights groups and the United Nations have urged Israel to lift the restrictions, citing worsening economic conditions and endemic poverty.
"Many people visit us but the visits are useless," Habbash said. "This is the only caravans school in Palestine."
"The school is a tragedy… there is no proper class environment and that has a negative effect on the children," teacher Samir Ashour said from a caravan that serves as a teacher’s room. Another caravan serves as a library.
"There is no place to escape the heat and in winter when it rains students and teachers can’t communicate because of the noise made by the falling rain," said Ashour.
Pupil Niveen Farhat said she feared the rusty metal ceiling could one day "fall on our heads."
"We want a school like all schools and not a school of caravans."
Israel imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip after Hamas won a parliamentary election in 2006. The Jewish state tightened strongly the blockade a year ago when Hamas seized control of Gaza after.
Some 450 students attend the school. Boys play soccer in schoolyard that turns into a muddy swamp in winter.
Meanwhile, Israel opened fire on a school wounded serioudly a student in the southern Gaza Strip.
Aziza Qudeih, a 17-year-old student in Khan Younis sustained serious wounds after she was hit with Israeli fire at her school, reported Maan news agency.
Israeli forces opened fire of Qudeih along with several Palestinian farmers on Monday morning in a field next to Khuza’a secondary school. The young woman was evacuated to local hospital.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire seemed random and causeless, as the farmers tended olive trees and students walked to class.
Palestinian factions see such assaults as violation of the truce between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. Another violation was recorded a few days ago when Israeli warships fired at fishermen in their boats in Rafah, no casualties were reported.
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