Gaza Ministry Registers 54,468 Orphaned Children

Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, pack their belongings every two days. The Abu Asser siblings move from one aunt's tent to another in central Gaza. They have followed this routine since their mother, Islam, died on the nineteenth day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025. An Israeli bomb struck the makeshift shelter in Deir al-Balah where they had taken refuge after their Gaza City home was destroyed during the war that began in 2023. Their father had died in Israel's 2014 offensive on the territory.

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development reports that 54,468 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since October 2023. The ministry's registry identifies at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children across the territory. This total includes individuals bereaved in earlier Israeli military attacks. The data shows that approximately 3,000 children currently have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver.

Warda al-Muzeini, the children's aunt, states that the siblings lack a stable home. They primarily stay with their paternal grandmother but rotate between maternal aunts, spending two nights at each location. Jebril was injured when the bomb struck his mother's lap. Muzeini noted that he saw his mother die in front of him. Muzeini lost her husband in an Israeli air strike and now raises four children alone without a job or reliable income. She reports struggling to provide one meal a day. Another aunt is also a widow. The sisters share the financial burden, with one purchasing pyjamas, another buying slippers, and a third providing pocket money for a few days.

Aziza al-Kahlout, the ministry's spokesperson, stated that the statistics do not fully capture the daily suffering. She explained that children who lose both parents lose care, safety, education, and childhood. These children are forced to carry responsibilities beyond their years. Women who become the sole breadwinners face the dual burden of providing for and raising children amid devastation.

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

Wafaa al-Attar, 13, left her home in Deir al-Balah on 22 February 2024 to charge her father's phone at her uncle's house. A blast struck the multi-storey building, killing her father Ahmed, her mother Khouloud, and four siblings: Rital, 8, Muhammed, 5, Obada, 3, and Yazan, 9 months. 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 remained silent for two to three hours before asking if all of them died at once. She first stayed with her grandparents and later moved in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn. Attar stated that she wished she had been in the house when it was bombed for months. Her uncle's wife reminded her that her father would want her to stay strong. Attar acknowledged that no one could replace her own family.