Gaza’s Sole-Survivor Children Face Grief, Trauma and Life Alone
Thousands of children in Gaza have been left without parents, siblings or extended family after years of Israeli bombardment, forcing them to grow up amid grief, displacement and uncertainty.
Thirteen-year-old Jana al-Motouq is one of them. She survived an Israeli strike on her family’s home in Jabalia in November 2023 because she had spent the night at her grandmother’s house. Her parents, twin sister and two younger brothers were killed, along with dozens of extended family members.
Jana now lives with her grandparents and has had to take on responsibilities once handled by her mother. She prepares her own meals, washes her clothes and gets ready for school alone. She says she still struggles with the loss of her twin sister and has sometimes wished she had died alongside her family.
Psychologists say such “survivor guilt” is common among children who lose their entire families. They may experience intense grief, isolation, emotional withdrawal or become strongly attached to people who remind them of those they lost.
Eighteen-year-old Dima Junina experienced a similar tragedy. An Israeli bombing in October 2023 destroyed a neighbouring building that collapsed onto her home, killing her parents and three younger brothers. Dima survived beneath the rubble and initially believed her family was still alive.
She says the experience forced her to become responsible for tasks once shared by several family members. Yet she rejects being treated differently simply because she is an orphan.
Palestinian officials say tens of thousands of children and adults have become sole survivors of their families, while many more have lost one or both parents. Medical workers have even adopted the term “WCNSF” — “Wounded Child, No Surviving Family” — for children arriving at hospitals without surviving relatives.
Despite their trauma, Jana and Dima remain determined to continue their education. Their ambitions are modest but profound: a safe home, a school, the freedom to play and the ability to dream without fear.
For these children, strength has become a necessity, but it has not erased their grief.
