After two years of unending Israeli bombardment, countless children have been torn from their families, and many are hard to trace.
According to data from UNICEF and the Palestinian Health Ministry in early September, 2,596 children have lost both parents, while another 53,724 have lost one, 47,804 their fathers and 5,920 their mothers. The war in Gaza has left thousands of children behind, alone, grieving, and often critically wounded. After two years of genocide, here’s some of what Gaza’s parentless children say:- “Imagine living six months without your father or mother, carrying the heavy responsibility of caring for your younger siblings. I feel like I’m 35 years old.”
- “After I started to recover, my aunt told me that my family, may Allah have mercy on them, were killed. I’m the only survivor of my entire family, and I miss them so much.”
- “I’m the only survivor of my entire family… I woke up to find the whole house collapsed on top of me. I started calling for my mother, father, and siblings, but no one answered.”
- “I was pulled out from under the rubble with my niece. The next day, I was shocked to learn that I had lost my father, my mother, and some of my siblings. After that, my whole life was shattered.”
- “I lost my brothers, my father, and my mother. At first, I didn’t understand what had happened, but when I did, I went into shock. When I dream of them, I don’t feel happy — I wake up crying.”
