1,300 Palestinian children attend swimming class on Gaza shore

On Gaza’s Mediterranean shoreline, a swimming program has enrolled roughly 1,300 Palestinian children as part of an effort to mitigate the psychological impact of the ongoing conflict. The classes, organized by local authorities in partnership with international humanitarian agencies, provide a structured environment where participants can engage in regular physical activity while receiving informal psychosocial support.

The initiative comes amid reports of widespread trauma among Gaza’s youth, who have faced displacement, loss of family members and disruption of schooling since the war began. By offering a safe, supervised setting on the coast, the program aims to restore a sense of normalcy and promote mental well‑being, complementing broader humanitarian measures focused on health, education and child protection in the war‑affected enclave.