Gaza children return to school

Teachers are concerned about the psychological effect of the war on Gaza's children [AFP]
Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have gone back to school for the first time since the 22-day Israeli offensive that killed more than 1,300 people, at least 410 of which were children.About 200,000 children returned on Saturday as the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) reopened its 221 schools in the devastated territory.
Public schools operated by the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip were also reopened.Three UN schools were hit by Israeli missiles and shells during the Israeli aerial, naval and ground offensive, including one attack in Jabaliya that left more than 40 people dead.
Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from that school, said hundreds of students had gathered as Palestinians struggle to get their lives back to normal."A Muslim aid organisation has come and is performing songs and dance, trying to lift the spirits of the kids," he said.Psychological traumaMaher Wahba, a psychologist with Muslim Aid, said that one of the first tasks would be to address the psychological trauma being suffered by children who had lost family members and friends.
"We are here to let the children act out their stress and relive what has passed during the Israeli invasion," he told Al Jazeera.