Israeli’s War Leaves 57,000 Children Orphaned in Gaza
Officials in Gaza say the Israeli regime’s relentless bombardment has left tens of thousands of children without parents and plunged the enclave into extreme poverty, with all women’s and children’s shelters destroyed.
As a fragile ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, authorities are still assessing the scale of devastation caused by the Israeli regime’s two-year assault.
Officials report that the number of orphans in Gaza has surged to 57,000, with most victims being women and children.
Dr. Riyad al-Bitar, deputy minister of social development in Gaza, said that around 40,000 children have lost one or both parents during the war, and some have lost their entire families.
Before the offensive, Gaza had 17,000 orphans, but the Israeli regime’s genocidal campaign has more than doubled that number.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, al-Bitar said Gaza urgently needs at least five orphan care centers and immediate aid for families taking care of the children.
The ministry has developed a unified digital system to collect updated data on citizens’ conditions after the war, including displacement status and contact information.
He added that nearly every resident in Gaza has been affected by poverty and halted daily life.
Tens of thousands of families have fallen into deep destitution, while humanitarian assistance remains irregular and insufficient.
Even before the war, aid from the World Bank, the European Union, and the Palestinian Authority had been suspended for months—and was completely cut off after the offensive.
Al-Bitar said Gaza now faces absolute poverty, with its economy in ruins.
He noted that determining who is the “poorest” has become impossible, as almost all sources of income have vanished under the regime’s blockade and deliberate starvation policies.
The poverty rate in Gaza has surpassed 95 percent.
He described how Gaza’s children wake up each day deprived of even basic rights such as schooling or play.
“Many can’t even find a glass of milk,” he said.
“Their daily routine is queuing for water, searching for food, or gathering firewood for cooking. They live in tents unfit for human life.”
The official said the Israeli regime has deliberately targeted child welfare institutions, including the al-Rabi’ Rehabilitation Foundation in Gaza City, which was completely destroyed.
Other bombed facilities include the Child Protection Center in Deir al-Balah, the al-Amal Orphan Care Institute, al-Rahma Charity, and the SOS Center in Rafah.
Kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, and parks have all been leveled.
Turning to Gaza’s women, al-Bitar said they have suffered the deepest wounds—losing husbands, sons, homes, and livelihoods.
“Many have been forced to flee repeatedly under unbearable conditions,” he said.
“They live in tents without protection from heat or cold, stripped of privacy and enduring extreme poverty and lack of medical care.”
He confirmed that the occupation forces destroyed Gaza’s only women’s shelter.
“We are trying to establish an alternative,” al-Bitar said.
“Despite losing many of our staff members, the Ministry of Social Development has never stopped working. We continue striving to create protective systems for Gaza’s women and children.”