Gaza Ministry: 54,468 Children Lost Parents Since 2023

Three siblings in Gaza pack their belongings every 48 hours to move between the tents of their aunts. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, have maintained this rotating schedule since their mother died in an airstrike on October 2025. The family lost their father during the 2014 offensive, leaving them vulnerable when their home in Gaza City was destroyed at the start of the current war.

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

Warda al-Muzeini, the children’s aunt, states that the siblings have no stable home. They primarily stay with their paternal grandmother but spend two nights with each maternal aunt. Jebril was injured when the bomb struck the tent in Deir al-Balah. Al-Muzeini says the boy saw his mother die in front of him.

Al-Muzeini lost her own husband in an Israeli air strike. She now supports four children without a job or reliable income. She says she struggles to provide a single meal a day. Another aunt in the group is also a widow. The sisters share financial responsibilities, with one buying pajamas, another purchasing slippers, and a third providing pocket money for a few days.

Aziza al-Kahlout, the ministry spokesperson, says the figures do not reflect the daily suffering of these families. A child who loses both parents loses care and safety. They also lose access to education and a normal childhood, often taking on responsibilities beyond their age. Women who become the sole breadwinners face the dual burden of providing and raising children amid devastation.

Al-Kahlout warns of growing risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage in Gaza. She attributes these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family breadwinners. Orphaned children are particularly exposed as economic and humanitarian conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.

Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire family in a single air strike on February 22, 2024. She was 10 years old when she left home to charge her father’s phone at her uncle’s house. A massive blast struck the multi-storey building in Deir al-Balah where her family was staying. The attack killed 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 were dead. She remained silent for two or three hours. She later wondered if she wished she had been in the house when it was bombed. Her uncle’s wife told her that her father would want her to stay strong. Attar says no one can ever replace her own family.