Hollow buildings still scar the landscape of Gaza City's Shujaiyeh neighborhood, the site of some of the heaviest bombardments and fiercest clashes during last year's war between Israel and Hamas militants. But even amid the ruins of Shujaiyeh, Palestinian children are back at school and ready to learn. "My favorite thing about coming back to school is seeing my friends and teachers," 9-year-old Bara’a Habib told Jehad Saftawi, a communications associate for the U.S.-based nonprofit the Institute for Middle East Understanding, when Saftawi visited her school in late August for a photo essay project.