Gaza children return to swimming lessons after three years of conflict

Swimming lessons have resumed in Gaza after three years of war, with five makeshift pools constructed from sandbags and rubble along the central beach. Hundreds of boys and girls are learning basic strokes such as freestyle and doggy paddle under the guidance of volunteer teams.

The pools were built by Amjed Tantesh, founder of Gaza’s first swimming academy, who mobilised dozens of volunteers to manually assemble the walls and shade tarpaulins. Free morning classes are offered to children whose parents were killed in Israeli attacks, while afternoons are open to anyone in the community.

One participant, 13‑year‑old Alma Shabat, said, “Swimming gives me a chance to escape the war and the worries I live with.” She added that she now enjoys the sea and no longer fears the waves. According to a United Nations survey in March, 96 % of Gaza’s children feel death is imminent, highlighting the psychological relief these lessons provide amid ongoing trauma and high rates of injury and loss among Palestinian children.