Gaza widows absorb care for 54,468 orphaned children

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has recorded 54,468 children who lost one or both parents since the war began in October 2023.

The ministry states that the territory now includes at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children. This total includes individuals bereaved in earlier Israeli military attacks on Gaza. The registration system also identifies approximately 3,000 children who have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver.

Three siblings in Gaza are currently rotating between relatives to find shelter. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, moved to a new aunt every two days following the death of their mother. The Abu Asser family had lost their father during the 2014 offensive on Gaza. When their home in Gaza City was destroyed during the 2023 war, they stayed with their mother, Islam, in a makeshift tent in Deir al-Balah.

An Israeli bomb struck the tent on the 19th day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025. The explosion killed Islam in front of the three children. Jebril was sitting in his mother’s lap and sustained injuries in the blast.

Warda al-Muzeini, the children’s aunt, stated that the family has no stable home. The children primarily stay with their paternal grandmother but rotate between their maternal aunts. They spend two nights with each aunt. Muzeini lost her husband in an Israeli air strike and now raises her four children alone. She has no job or reliable income and struggles to provide one meal a day. Another of the aunts is also a widow. The sisters divide the costs of care, with one purchasing pyjamas, another buying slippers, and a third providing pocket money for a couple of days.

Aziza al-Kahlout, a ministry spokesperson, said the figures do not fully capture the daily suffering involved. She noted that a child who has lost both parents loses care, safety, education, and childhood. These children are forced to carry responsibilities far beyond their years. Women who become the sole breadwinners face the dual burden of providing for and raising children amidst devastation.

Kahlout warned of growing risks of child labour, school dropout, and early marriage in Gaza. She attributed these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family breadwinners. She stated that orphaned children are especially exposed as economic and humanitarian conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.

Wafaa al-Attar, now 13, lost her entire family in a single air strike. She was 10 years old when she left her home in Deir al-Balah on 22 February 2024 to charge her father’s phone at her uncle’s house. A massive blast struck as she was about to enter. The strike killed her father Ahmed, her mother Khouloud, and her four siblings: Rital, eight; Muhammed, five; Obada, three; and Yazan, nine months old.

Attar suffered minor shrapnel injuries and was taken to hospital. She asked about her family until her uncle arrived and told her they had died. She fell silent for two or three hours. She later moved in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn. Attar said she wished she had been in the house when it was bombed. Her uncle’s wife comforted her, reminding her that her father would want her to stay strong. Attar noted that she knows no one could ever replace her own family.