Panic in Gaza over escalation of assassinations as classes resume
Israel has not ceased its bombing and assassination operations in the Gaza Strip, keeping the ceasefire agreement announced on October 10, 2025, fragile amid near-daily killings that have affected the lives of residents in the enclave. However, a growing sense of panic has taken hold in the streets of the Strip as these assassinations coincide with the resumption of the academic year.
An Israeli drone killed Palestinians following an airstrike that targeted a vehicle in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in southwestern Gaza City, at a time when children were heading to schools. Another strike hit in front of a home in Jabalia al-Balad in the afternoon, as some students were returning to their homes and displacement areas, resulting in injuries among civilians.
Residents of the Strip complain of a lack of security amid intensified raids in the heart of residential areas. Fawaha al-Ayedi, 38, a resident of the Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, said she now fears for her children’s lives as they travel to kindergartens and schools, given the airstrikes that target vehicles and groups of civilians, and sometimes homes.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Ayedi added: “Our lives remain unchanged, as if we are still at war. Nothing has changed, and there is no security for our lives or the lives of our children, who are terrified and frightened by the intensity of the bombardment, along with the demolition operations carried out by the occupying forces day and night. These cause large explosions and shake the ground, increasing the children’s fear and making them refuse to go to school.”
She continued: “As a mother of three children in kindergarten and primary school, they are constantly on my mind as I wait for every moment they leave and return safely home. I am like any other mother in Gaza, worried about my children, their future, and their fate.”
Meanwhile, Samir al-Muzayni, 30, who was walking about 70 meters from the site of the Tel al-Hawa bombing, said he narrowly escaped being among the injured if the explosion had been larger. He noted that he barely survived, while more than 10 civilians passing near the targeted vehicle were injured.
