Gaza's junior lifesavers return to waves after three-year war pause
Gaza's Nippers program restarted last month with just 15 of 45 original children found alive.
Hassan Al-Habeel trained in Sydney and oversaw Gaza's junior surf lifesaving program restarting last month after a three-year war suspension. On 25 September, 15 children gathered near Al-Shati refugee camp to catch waves together, dancing and playing in the sun.
The program's restart was shadowed by loss: only 15 of the original 45 Nippers were found alive. Al-Habeel's own son Ali died during the blockade, unable to access medicine.
The rest remain missing, uncontactable or have died as a result of the conflict. Restarting took months to find a safe window between ceasefire and continuing airstrikes.
Equipment destroyed in the war had to be replaced by fundraising in Australia. The group plans to return next summer.
Why it mattersIt shows resilience and hope for Gaza's children despite devastating losses and ongoing instability.
AustraliaNorth Steyne RSLC in Sydney trained Al-Habeel and helped fundraise to restart the program, connecting Australian communities to Gaza's recovery.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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