Gaza registry lists 54,468 children left without parents

Three siblings in Gaza move to a new aunt's tent every two days.

Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, have followed this routine since their mother died in October 2025.

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development says the children are part of a registered group of 54,468 orphans who lost one or both parents since October 2023.

The ministry's data indicates at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children exist across the territory, including those bereaved in earlier attacks.

The registry also shows approximately 3,000 children have no recorded guardian, custodian, or caregiver.

Warda al-Muzeini, the children's aunt, said they lack a stable home and mostly stay with their paternal grandmother.

The family rotates between maternal aunts, spending two nights with each sister.

Jebril was sitting in his mother's lap when an Israeli bomb killed her on the 19th day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025.

"He saw his mother die in front of him," Muzeini said.

Muzeini lost her husband in an air strike and raises four children alone without a job or reliable income.

She said she struggles to provide one meal a day, so the aunts share costs for items like pyjamas, slippers, and pocket money.

Aziza al-Kahlout, a ministry spokesperson, said the statistics do not capture the daily suffering involved in raising orphans without parental support or education access. Kahlout warned of "deeply alarming signs of growing risks of child labour, school dropout and early marriage in Gaza." She said economic conditions and displacement drive these risks, especially when women become the sole breadwinners in devastated areas. Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire family in a single air strike in Deir al-Balah on 22 February 2024. A blast destroyed the building where her father, mother, and four siblings lived, killing them all while she suffered minor shrapnel injuries. Attar said she stayed with her grandparents and later moved in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn. "But of course, I know that no one could ever replace my own family," Attar said.