**The Unseen Struggle of Gaza's Youth: A Lost Childhood** In the midst of Gaza's devastation, a silent crisis is unfolding. Children like 15-year-old Mahmoud are forced to abandon their dreams of education and childhood, instead shouldering the weight of survival. Mahmoud's day begins before the sun rises in Khan Younis, a crowded tent his makeshift home. Unlike most teenagers, his morning routine doesn't involve a schoolbag or a quick breakfast. Instead, he picks up a worn burlap sack, a constant reminder of his grueling daily routine. His hands are calloused from carrying the sack through the dusty streets, searching for scraps of nylon, cardboard, and wood to fuel his family's fire. As the eldest son of a family ravaged by war, Mahmoud feels a deep sense of responsibility. His father was killed in an Israeli air strike, one of thousands of innocent lives lost in the conflict that has plagued Gaza since October 2023. With Gaza's economy in shambles and little aid arriving, Mahmoud knows he must provide for his mother. His childhood, like his education, is a luxury he can no longer afford. Mahmoud's story is a tragic reflection of Gaza's current state. The war has left a trail of destruction, with over 97% of schools damaged or destroyed. As a result, hundreds of thousands of children like Mahmoud have had limited access to in-person learning. The UN estimates that nearly 658,000 children of school age are affected, their futures uncertain. Mahmoud's nostalgia for his school days is a poignant reminder of what could have been. He remembers being a top student, dreaming of a brighter future. Now, he hides from his former math teacher, ashamed to be seen as a working child rather than a student. The sack, once a symbol of his responsibility, now weighs heavily on his shoulders, a constant reminder of the sacrifices he must make. In Gaza, the conflict's legacy extends far beyond the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. It has also stolen the childhoods of a generation, leaving them to face an uncertain future. As the international community responds to the crisis, it is essential to remember the human cost of the war – the children like Mahmoud, who are paying the price for a conflict that is not of their making.