Gaza’s innocent survivors: Children reunited with family after withstanding bombings, heartbreak PHOTO

Amid the laughter and joy of the Masri children playing in the sand, their smiles conceal the deep scars of unimaginable loss, as their grandmother, Kawther, remembers the horror they survived.

"Their lives were in danger, they were exposed to so much killing and destruction," she recalls, reflecting on the horrors the children have survived, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The tragedy began six weeks ago when an Israeli bombing struck their home in the northern town of Beit Lahia. The blast killed the parents of one-year-old Jamal, along with the mother and two young sisters of his cousins Maria, Jana, and Zeina, who ranged in age from two to nine. The girls’ father had been detained by Israeli forces over a year ago. When the children were rescued from the rubble, they were found injured and alone.

The ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of more than 14,500 children in Gaza, leaving thousands more injured and some 17,000 unaccompanied or separated from their families. In such a chaotic and dangerous environment, the United Nations Children's Agency, UNICEF, has managed to reunite only a fraction of these displaced and orphaned children. As of mid-November, Kawther had feared the worst, believing her family had perished in the bombing. But after praying, she received the relief that three of her grandchildren had survived.

With the children trapped in the north and the region cut off by the Israeli military, a long process of documentation and welfare checks began. UNICEF coordinated the children’s safe passage to Kawther in the south, using armoured vehicles to cross through Israeli checkpoints. This journey, fraught with danger and delay, was prioritized by UNICEF in an effort to reunite families despite the escalating risks posed by the war.

"The happiness of their return is indescribable," Kawther says. "But it's overshadowed with sadness – they came back without their parents." The emotional reunion, after more than 14 months apart, was one of bittersweet joy and sorrow. Kawther embraced each of the children in turn, recalling the bond they had despite the long separation. "Zeina kept asking: 'Are you Kuko? Are you the one I came here for?' And I told her I was. She felt safe."

However, the Masri family’s story is not unique. Since the war’s outset, many families have been torn apart by bombings, forced displacement, and detentions. The Israeli military’s actions in Gaza, including its demand for 1.1 million northern Gaza residents to move south, created further divides within families. Kawther’s two sons, Ramadan and Hamza, were separated from her during the exodus, and in November 2023, Hamza was arrested by Israeli forces.

This displacement has left many families in limbo, unsure of their loved ones' whereabouts or safety. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports over 8,300 cases of missing persons, with only a small number resolved through family reunifications. The ICRC and other aid groups continue to work tirelessly to track down missing individuals and connect them with their families, though the challenges are immense.

In the aftermath of their reunion, Kawther and her grandchildren now live in a tent in Al-Mawasi, a displacement camp near Khan Younis. Though UNICEF has provided essential support, such as food, medication, and warm clothing, the family’s struggles are far from over. Kawther remains deeply concerned for the children’s emotional well-being, fearing the psychological scars from their traumatic experiences will be long-lasting.

"They are in shock," she says. "When night falls, they are afraid. They say: 'There's a plane, there's a strike.'"

As the war continues to ravage Gaza, Kawther clings to the hope that her grandchildren can rebuild their lives. "I hope for a ceasefire, for my grandchildren to live without fear," she says. "Not to become part of a lost generation." But for now, amid the wreckage of war, they are trying to heal, one day at a time.

By Aghakazim Guliyev