Education under fire: Gaza’s children face death on their way to school

Gaza City— Mohammed Hamad, 14, was on his way home from school in Deir el-Balah on October 17 when an Israeli strike targeted the road he was travelling along.He had finished classes at the makeshift school and was walking home through the al-Baraka neighbourhood with his 10-year-old brother, Abdullah. Mohammed was killed in the strike along with another man. Abdullah survived.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Palestinians are opening their doors to the displaced of besieged Hebronlist 2 of 3Gaza’s visually and hearing-impaired children miss school due to Israel warlist 3 of 3Palestine weekly: West Bank under siege as Israelis go to the pollsend of listMohammed was Riyad Hamad’s third child, an eighth-grade student among the top pupils in his class. His loss is difficult for the 44-year-old father to comprehend.“He was not just my son, he was my friend,” Hamad told Al Jazeera from his family tent in Deir el-Balah. “He was doing so well. May God have mercy on him.”The family has struggled to come to terms with the death of a boy whose schoolwork and achievements had been a source of pride.“Mohammed used to ask me: ‘How am I with you?’ I swear, I never asked him for anyth...