A few months ago, a heart-breaking image from Gaza was circulating on social media – that of 10-year-old Tala Abu Ajwa, her body wrapped in a white shroud with her pink roller skates still on. The image was symbolic of the thousands of children in the war-torn land hoping to briefly escape the grim reality around them, but unable to.
In a video showing Tala’s body at the hospital, a man was seen gently taking the skates off and handing them to her father, weeping in disbelief. The mother broke down and crumpled over her child’s body. This is a common sight in Gaza today.
Gaza has been facing a relentless war for over a year now, taking a catastrophic toll on its civilians. At least 14,000 children have reportedly been killed, according to the estimate provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, while thousands more have been injured. Nearly 1.9 million people – about 9 in 10 of Gaza’s population – are internally displaced and half of them are children, according to the UN children’s body. Thousands have been orphaned, their lives have been altered forever. The war has now expanded to Lebanon, causing more devastation, with many fearing that it will end in Gaza-like destruction. As of last week, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said 192 children had been killed in the country and at least 1,255 wounded.
The acute shortage of basic lifesaving resources such as food, water, sanitation supplies and electricity in addition to the continuous bombardment has increased challenges and also caused a tremendous mental health burden among the youth.
Outlook’s anniversary issue titled ‘We Bear Witness’, dated January 11, 2024 was an attempt to address this crisis through the testimonies of Palestinian people. In several stories, the plagued lives of the children came to light.
Palestinian artist Ghia Haddad wrote a poem about an olive tree she planted in her garden that eventually became a daily testament to the resilience of Palestinians. “No matter where the borders on this earth are drawn and redrawn by pre-colonials, colonials, and post-colonials, our Earth will always grow Palestinian trees, Palestinian children, and Palestinian hope,” she writes.
In another testimony, Raghad Abu Shammalah, a member of Freedom Writers Foundation, writes about the day when one of her nieces, Salma, asked her why they were being bombed. “When the suffering is endless, it binds one generation’s suffering to the next. This is why many Palestinians may die, but our children will never forget,” she writes.
In an excerpt from Among the Almond Trees: A Palestinian Memoir published in the issue, author Hussein Barghouthi paints a poignant reflection on life and death through a story of a monastery atop a mountain he used to visit as a child.
As the war continues to grow, we must acknowledge and remember the unimaginable horrors endured by the children in war. Outlook looks back at the stories from Gaza and how the lives of children have been affected through the years.
To read more stories from Gaza, click here
