Gaza swimming academy offers respite to children who lost limbs

After three years of conflict, a swimming academy in Gaza is offering a rare break for children who have lost limbs in Israeli attacks. The lessons are designed for young amputees, using water to rebuild confidence and provide therapy. Organisers describe the work as rebuilding broken lives with the healing power of water.

Mahmoud, 15, said his mood has improved since he started swimming. He said: 'In the water, I know how to dive, swim, float and do everything. But outside the water, I can't do much. I just sit around.' His words capture the limited freedom many children face on land, where injury and displacement shape daily life.

For 13-year-old Abdul Rahman, who was hit by shrapnel in an airstrike near his shelter, the lessons have restored some of what he lost. He said: 'I stopped playing. I stopped moving around. I stopped walking. I stopped going out with my friends. Swimming gives me freedom and I swim well. I swim very well.' The academy gives children a chance to move without the same physical barriers, even if only for a short time.

The United Nations says Gaza now has the highest concentration of child amputees relative to its population. The number reflects the toll of Israel's intense bombing campaign, which has left many children with lifelong injuries. The swimming programme is one of the few places where they can take part in an ordinary childhood activity.

One coach, Nur ad-Din Kashkash, hopes to inspire his students. He lost his leg after being wounded by Israeli fire early in the war. He said: 'I'm a living example. I was once an ordinary person with two legs. Today, I'm the person with one leg. I was able to change. As long as I can do it, I can help bring about change.' His presence offers a visible example of recovery, though the obstacles remain severe.

The programme operates with severe shortages. This is one of the few pools left intact in Gaza, and there are no usual swimming aids. Israel tightly restricts what is allowed into the Strip, saying the controls are for security. As a result, instructors make do by using sandbags in the sea to create a safer, shallow area for lessons. Many children are displaced in tents along the coast, where the sea can be dangerous. The classes try to turn it into a welcome escape.

Some children arrive afraid of the water. One said: 'I was scared of the sea until I learned to swim. I want to be a swimming teacher because swimming is wonderful.' Thousands of Gazan children have taken lessons. For those who have lost loved ones, the sessions are described as desperately needed therapy. Some have lost their families completely. Organisers say they try to change how children perceive life after the horrors they have seen in the war.

The academy cannot erase Gaza's harsh realities. Children still return to displacement, loss and injury. But in the water, at least for a while, some of those cares are washed away.