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Reclaiming stolen childhoods: swimming classes resume in Gaza after three years of war

The Guardian UK Saturday 25 July 2026, 05:00 UTC By Seham Tantesh in Gaza and Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem; photographs by Amjed Tantesh 1 min read
Key Points

In sea pools built with sandbags and rubble, Amjed Tantesh gives traumatised children brief respite from their daily livesSwimming classes have started again in Gaza after three years of war, with hundreds of children learning to float, doggy paddle and take their first strokes in five makeshift sea pools built from sandbags and rubble. The lessons allow a few hundred girls and boys to reclaim their childhood for a few hours in a place where there are no playgrounds, no formal education and...

In sea pools built with sandbags and rubble, Amjed Tantesh gives traumatised children brief respite from their daily lives

Swimming classes have started again in Gaza after three years of war, with hundreds of children learning to float, doggy paddle and take their first strokes in five makeshift sea pools built from sandbags and rubble.

The lessons allow a few hundred girls and boys to reclaim their childhood for a few hours in a place where there are no playgrounds, no formal education and children live in fear of continuing Israeli attacks. A UN survey in March found that 96% of children felt death was imminent.

Activity on the Gaza seafront

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Gaza (LOCATION) Amjed Tantesh (PERSON) Israeli (ORG) UN (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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