Within a sprawling camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, a stark contrast emerges: a bright red racing car poster adorns a gate, leading to tent classrooms where children’s art tells a more poignant story of their reality.
One drawing, depicting a vibrant orange and yellow house amidst green grass and olive trees, bears the heartbreaking inscription: ‘I had a house, but today I have nothing.’
Twelve-year-old Raseel al-Shaer expresses the profound relief of returning to learning in al-Mawasi. ‘Here, it is safe,’ she shares. ‘No drones or bombs. The best feeling is sitting at a desk, seeing my teacher and the board, and simply holding a pencil again.’
Against incredible odds and significant danger, a growing network of free private schools has emerged in the Gaza Strip for war orphans and other vulnerable children. These ‘Academies of Hope’ are the vision of Dr. David Hasan, a Palestinian American neurosurgeon. His journey began with medical relief missions to Gaza after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which led to Israel’s subsequent invasion.
Despite not having returned to Gaza since early 2024, Dr. Hasan established these crucial institutions by collaborating with local humanitarian organizations, recruiting Palestinian staff remotely via WhatsApp, and securing funding predominantly from Jewish donors in the United States and Israel.
Currently, about 9,000 students from first to ninth grade attend classes at five campuses across southern Gaza. They participate in three-hour shifts, and each child receives a hot meal, as well as essential medical and psychological support.
Running schools in a conflict zone is inherently difficult, with many existing institutions struggling to recover. Dr. Hasan, however, took on additional challenges. He overhauled the controversial national curriculum and diligently ensured his schools remained safe from Hamas interference. Furthermore, he rigorously vetted all staff for any ties to militant groups, addressing concerns similar to those Israel has raised about other aid organizations and UN agencies in Gaza.
The Academies of Hope implement a revised version of the Palestinian Authority’s curriculum, traditionally used in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. This modified curriculum omits any content that demonizes Jewish people or glorifies violence against Israel. Dr. Hasan confirmed that these changes were made without the Authority’s official approval, leading to threats from its education ministry. Attempts to reach a ministry spokesman for comment were unsuccessful.
For years, Israel, the United States, and the European Union have voiced concerns that the Palestinian Authority’s textbooks promote hatred and antisemitism. The Authority, however, maintains that its educational materials appropriately teach Palestinian nationalism, history, and culture.
To highlight the transformation, here are some examples of the curriculum changes:
A previous math problem that compared the number of ‘martyrs’ from past intifadas has been replaced with a neutral one about attendance at a West Bank soccer match.
A reading comprehension passage that once lauded Dalal Mughrabi, who orchestrated a 1978 massacre resulting in the deaths of 38 Israelis, including 13 children, has been substituted with content featuring Hind al-Husseini, a notable Palestinian educator.
In Islamic studies, a lesson describing an alleged attempt by Jews to kill Prophet Muhammad has been replaced by a passage emphasizing the prophet’s respect for Jewish people.
Dr. Hasan’s team has also introduced weekly ‘peace building’ lessons, focusing on crucial ideals such as tolerance, respect for differences, the golden rule, and conflict resolution.
A video clip from a recent lesson captures a young boy drawing Palestinian and Israeli flags side by side, expressing a simple yet powerful wish: ‘I wish there will be no more wars so that we can live.’ The video shows the children cycling through three-hour school shifts, receiving hot meals, and medical and psychological care.
Dr. Hasan admits that his peace-building curriculum is politically sensitive. Some teachers have expressed fears of retaliation from Hamas, which is regaining influence in Gaza, leading to some faculty resignations or dismissals.
To ensure adherence to the revised curriculum, he is considering installing cameras in classrooms.
On social media, some Gazans have questioned whether Dr. Hasan’s approach leans too heavily towards Israeli interests. Others, disillusioned with Hamas, counter that teaching tolerance is far preferable to encouraging children to sacrifice themselves.
Interviews with faculty members, many of whom were new teachers or retired principals, revealed a palpable discomfort with the topic. While they maintained they were using the standard Palestinian curriculum, they admitted to making certain deletions when questioned further.
Alaa Sabbah, 35, a teacher leading a lesson on cell components, emphasized that his teaching extends beyond mere science.
‘We instill respect, tolerance, and acceptance,’ he explained. ‘We teach them to rise like a phoenix from the rubble, to love others, and to engage socially.’
When the first school opened last July, Dr. Hasan provided its coordinates to the Israeli military for protection. However, in August, the staff received an Israeli attack warning and evacuated. An airstrike subsequently targeted militants nearby, causing minor damage to the school, which then relocated.
The initial school, designed for 200 students, saw 500 children arrive on its opening day. Many, Dr. Hasan noted, ‘hadn’t had food for days.’
‘The children were incredibly excited, thriving for the first time,’ he recalled. ‘They didn’t even want to leave, so we had to gently persuade them to go home in the evening.’
Last summer, amidst worsening malnutrition under an Israeli blockade, Dr. Hasan sourced tons of flour from the black market for residents of Deir al-Balah. Having earned the trust and gratitude of local elders through this effort, he successfully convinced them to allocate space for a school.
Since then, influential family leaders in Gaza have assisted him in securing locations for additional schools. ‘We achieved this by building trust,’ he affirmed.
Part of building this trust involves reassuring both the local families and his Israeli donors that his staff has no links to militant organizations. Dr. Hasan stated that every employee undergoes vetting by Israeli authorities and is screened against a U.S. government sanctions list.
He openly communicates that some of his donors are Israeli. ‘I told the elders, “I work with the Israelis,”‘ he recounted. ‘They responded, “As long as they don’t try to indoctrinate our children, we are fine.”
Dr. Hasan, 53, a researcher and professor at Duke University’s medical school, had no prior experience in humanitarian aid before the 2023 attack, nor was he deeply involved in Palestinian life.
Born in Kuwait to West Bank Palestinian parents, he moved to Texas for college at 18. At 19, he changed his given name, Emad, to David.
The war profoundly moved him. In December 2023, he undertook a medical mission in Gaza, performing 20 operations in 10 days, frequently without anesthetics or antiseptics. He documented harrowing scenes, including maggots in unhealed wounds, and noted that every patient he treated eventually succumbed to infection.
His return in April with additional medical supplies yielded improved outcomes.
However, the sheer number of orphaned children deeply affected him, particularly a 10-year-old girl he observed quickly taking responsibility for her younger siblings after their parents were killed.
‘These children are the true victims of this war,’ Dr. Hasan stated from his home in Durham, N.C. ‘They had no say in its unfolding.’
Dr. Hasan has not been back to Gaza since April 2024, explaining that his actions had drawn suspicion. While not performing surgeries, he reportedly investigated hospital storerooms for signs of Israeli hostages. He recounted fleeing after being warned that armed militants were searching for him.
He successfully convinced renowned chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, to supply meals, desks, benches, and bookshelves for the students.
Mr. Andrés confirmed a $500,000 donation to Dr. Hasan’s initiative and committed an additional $500,000.
‘Sometimes enormous problems have remarkably simple solutions that can be achieved by someone with boundless energy who refuses to take no for an answer,’ Andrés said in an interview. ‘It’s essential to dream big, especially for Gaza, which desperately needs individuals like David with grand visions.’
Dr. Hasan plans to open a sixth school east of Khan Younis, designed to accommodate 10,000 children, offer some college courses, and even include a small zoo. His ambitious goal is to expand the network to serve 250,000 youngsters by year-end.
For 34-year-old Shireen Mohammed, these schools have been a lifeline for her children.
‘This is the greatest thing that has happened to us,’ she expressed. ‘Before this place, we feared letting our children go anywhere. Now, it’s a safe and enriching environment for their emotional, social, and educational development.’
Outside the al-Mawasi classrooms, nine-year-old Aisha Abu Marzouq, displaced from Rafah, voiced a wish for a playground at her new school but expressed no other complaints.
‘I never want to leave this place,’ she concluded. ‘My first day here felt like the best possible new beginning.’