Abstract

This paper investigates the intersection of trauma, memory, and interrupted childhood within the context of Gaza’s protracted war, positioning education as both a means of survival and a form of resistance. Grounded in trauma theory (Cathy Caruth and Judith Herman), critical pedagogy (Paulo Freire), and human rights frameworks (UNICEF and UNRWA), the study examines how war-induced trauma destabilizes psychological development and disrupts the educational continuity of Palestinian children. It contends that, amid systemic violence, education transcends its conventional institutional boundaries to become both a therapeutic and political act; enabling children to reconstruct fragmented identities and preserve collective memory. Drawing upon interdisciplinary scholarship, psychological research, UN reports, and first-person testimonies, the paper conceptualizes education in Gaza as a living archive of endurance. The findings underscore the resilience of students and educators who transform classrooms into spaces of healing, resistance, and hope despite recurrent devastation. Ultimately, the study presents education as an act of defiance against erasure, embodying survival, agency, and the reclamation of human dignity.