For the first time in more than two years, the United Nations educational agency has begun reigniting the light of learning in Gaza, reopening schools for thousands of children—including one housed in an 800-year-old historic building in Gaza City that has now transformed into a sanctuary of hope.

Volunteer teachers have taken the initiative to create classrooms inside this centuries-old structure, where children are once again returning with books in hand. Amid the devastation of war, this revival of schooling has sparked fresh optimism among locals.

Al Jazeera’s video report captured beaming smiles on children’s faces—a triumphant celebration of life amid the rubble.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Farida Shaheed, has described the collapse of Gaza’s education system with a chilling term: “Scholasticide.”

She explained, “This is a situation where educational institutions are deliberately destroyed, and teachers and academics are systematically targeted.”

The reopening of this ancient school is far more than just another institution—it symbolizes resilience, survival, and dreams for the future. Even among the ruins, education is beginning to shine again, and under its glow, Gaza’s children are daring to imagine a peaceful tomorrow.