GAZA - Gaza's schools lie in ruins or have been turned into shelters for families displaced by a war that has killed tens of thousands. Yet teacher Israa Abu Mustafa refuses to let death and destruction deprive traumatised children of an education.

After a four-storey building containing her home was demolished by an Israeli air strike, Abu Mustafa set up a classroom on the rubble under a tent.

Her impromptu school is one of the few remaining options for children in her neighbourhood.

"During the war, we had to fill water gallons and collect sticks for firewood. Then Miss Israa found us and brought us here to continue learning," said 10-year-old Hala Abu Mustafa.

The project began with 35 pupils and that number gradually increased to 70, ranging from pre-school to sixth graders aged 11-12.

Since the war began on Oct 7, schools have been bombed or turned into shelters for displaced people, leaving Gaza's estimated 625,000 school-aged children unable to attend classes.

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