54,468: The number of Gaza children who lost parents since 2023

Three siblings in Gaza move between their aunts' tents every two days. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, have followed this routine since their mother was killed in October 2025. They lost their father in 2014. When their home in Gaza City was destroyed in the war that began in 2023, they sheltered with their mother, Islam, in Deir al-Balah. An Israeli bomb hit their tent on the 19th day after the ceasefire took effect, killing her in front of them.

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development reports that 54,468 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since October 2023. The ministry states there are at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children in the territory. This count includes people bereaved in earlier Israeli military attacks. The ministry's registration system shows that about 3,000 children have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver.

Warda al-Muzeini, an aunt of the Abu Asser children, said the kids have no stable home. They mostly stay with their paternal grandmother but rotate between maternal aunts, spending two nights with each. Jebril was injured when the bomb struck. Al-Muzeini noted that he saw his mother die. She 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. The aunts share costs, with one buying pyjamas, another slippers, and another providing pocket money.

Aziza al-Kahlout, the ministry spokesperson, said the numbers do not capture the daily suffering. She stated that children who lose both parents lose care, safety, education, and childhood. They are forced to carry responsibilities far beyond their years. Women who become the only breadwinners face the burden of providing and raising children in a devastated area.

Kahlout warned of growing risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage. She attributed these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family breadwinners. She said orphaned children are especially exposed as economic and humanitarian conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.

Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire family in a single blast on 22 February 2024. She was 10 when she left her home in Deir al-Balah to charge her father's phone at her uncle's house. A massive blast struck as she was about to enter. The air strike killed her father, Ahmed, her mother, Khouloud, and her four siblings: Rital, 8; Muhammed, 5; Obada, 3; and Yazan, 9 months old. Attar suffered minor shrapnel injuries. She stayed with her grandparents and later moved in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn. She said she wished she had been killed with her family. Her uncle's wife reminded her that her father would want her to stay strong. Attar said no one could replace her own family.