The Reality of Children Under Hamas’ Rule in Gaza
24.09.26
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In Gaza under Hamas’ rule, childhood has never been normal. How can a normal childhood exist alongside an extremist ideology that prizes martyrdom, normalizes violence and embeds military infrastructure in spaces meant to provide comfort and safety? The result is a childhood where the divisions between civilian life and warfare are difficult to distinguish.
There is no reality in which the children of Gaza can live a “normal” childhood while Hamas keeps influencing every and any place inside Gaza.
Children on a tank with Hamas operatives, Gaza
A Childhood Formed by Extremist Ideology
From an early age, students in Gaza encounter educational material that glorifies violence and portrays armed “resistance” as an important part of the Palestinian national struggle.
A Palestinian school textbook illustrating a stabbing
This goes beyond the classroom. Hamas-run summer camps and youth programs have included weapons training and military-style exercises alongside sports and religious activities. In some of these programs, children have been taught how to handle weapons, move through tunnels and more.
A child holding a weapon, Gaza
Intensifying the damage, Hamas has even utilized children during active military operations.
In January 2024, children in Gaza were used to transfer messages and ammunition. As stated by a Hamas commander in the Zeytoun Battalion, Hamas intentionally uses children to transfer ammunition because they know that the IDF complies with international law and will not harm children.
After attacks inside active combat zones, Hamas sends children to assess the damage to the area and report back to terrorists hiding in shelters. By deliberately endangering children, Hamas exploits their innocence and threatens the lives they claim to defend.
Where Terror Invades Every Safe Space
Providing a safe environment for children in Gaza is impossible when military infrastructure is deliberately placed in civilian environments.
Hamas has embedded weapons, command centers, rocket launchers, and tunnel infrastructure throughout Gaza. Including schools, hospitals, mosques and residential neighborhoods. Countless examples of military infrastructure have been found inside or near places where children live, study, or play.
Weapons located inside a room with a baby crib, Gaza 2024
Military Activity Found in and Around Schools
- December 2022: A Hamas rocket-launching site adjacent to the Mo’ath Bin Jabal School in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City was discovered next to the Moa’th Bin Jabal School in Gaza City, which UNRWA also used as an emergency shelter.
- June 2024: Hamas operatives used a container on the grounds of the Asmaa UNRWA school in Shati, Gaza. The container served as an operations and meeting point for planning attacks.
- August 2024: A Hamas command center was located inside a building formerly known as the Hamama School in northern Gaza. Hamas used the compound to plan and carry out attacks, as well as to manufacture and store weapons.
Targeting Terror While Protecting Civilians
When the IDF conducts strikes, its only objective is to dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure and prevent future terrorist attacks. For the IDF, civilian safety is always the priority and it will take risks to defend it, including risks to the success of IDF operations.
In June 2024, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives used classrooms inside a UN school in Nuseirat to plan and conduct attacks. The strike was delayed twice after civilians were identified in the area and was only carried out after intelligence made sure that women and children were no longer inside the targeted classrooms.
Strikes have been canceled or altered after civilians were identified near a target. In one instance, an ambulance entered the target area after a strike had been authorized, causing the strike to be diverted. In another, a strike was canceled after civilians were detected near the target. The IDF has also delayed strikes after identifying children in the area and carrying them out only after the children had left.
Envisioning a Different Reality for Gaza’s Children
The future of Gaza’s children shouldn’t be defined by Hamas’ extremist ideology, which promotes violence as a form of ‘resistance’. This shouldn’t be their reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Hamas expose children in Gaza to extremist ideology?
Hamas exposes Gazan children to ideological messaging in education, after-school activities, summer camps, youth programs, ceremonies, performances and children's television programs.
Where does Hamas place weapons and military infrastructure in Gaza?
Hamas places weapons and military infrastructure inside civilian areas such as schools, hospitals, mosques, playgrounds and residential homes.
What does Hamas do in civilian areas?
Hamas operates from within civilian spaces by embedding weapons, command centers, rocket launchers and tunnel infrastructure in civilian environments.
