From Aid Boxes to Classroom Benches: A Gaza Carpenter Rebuilds Learning

GAZA CITY, GAZA, PALESTINE — September 10, 2026: Palestinian carpenter Mahmoud Al-Najjar, 44, makes wooden school benches in his workshop in Gaza City using timber salvaged from humanitarian aid boxes and commercial shipping pallets, locally known as “mashat.” With wood, tools and other materials in short supply, Al-Najjar produces basic classroom furniture as communities prepare for the new school year amid efforts to restore education after widespread destruction caused by the war. Many schools and educational facilities across the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed, severely disrupting schooling. Photo: © Mohammed M. Skaik / MedPress