"I miss the noise," a teacher from Gaza said recently.
At first, the people around her looked confused.
Then she explained.
She missed the sound of children asking questions at the same time. She missed the scraping of chairs across the floor and the laughter that filled the room before lessons began. She even missed the students who forgot their homework.
Schools are more than buildings. For children, they are places of routine and friendship. They are where new ideas begin and where young people start to imagine who they might become one day.
Many children in Gaza have spent long periods away from classrooms. Some talk about their teachers as if they are old friends they haven't seen in years. Others keep their pencils and notebooks carefully stored away, hoping they will need them again soon.
One father said his daughter still wakes up early every morning because she does not want to forget her school routine.
That small habit says a lot.
Even in difficult times, children keep looking ahead. They continue to make plans and hold onto memories that remind them life can be different.
Every child deserves the chance to sit in a classroom, raise a hand, and ask a question without fear.
And every empty desk in Gaza is a reminder that there are thousands of young voices waiting for that opportunity again.