Gaza’s amputee youths find freedom and hope in new swimming program

Heal Palestine and long-time Gaza swimming teacher Amjed Tantish have begun offering swimming lessons to amputee and orphaned children in a small pool in Khan Younis, after converting a vacant office space. The initiative, launched in late July, currently enrolls roughly 90 boys and girls who have suffered severe injuries or loss since the war began, providing them with a sense of weightlessness and emotional relief. Participants such as Ahmed al Masri and Saleh al Satari report increased confidence and a temporary escape from the harsh conditions of daily life in Gaza.

The program operates twice a week with a low instructor-to-student ratio, including an instructor who himself is an amputee. Organizers cite a lack of vehicles, fuel, and pool-maintenance supplies as major constraints, limiting access for children from northern Gaza and curbing the possibility of scaling up to thousands. Funding comes from international donors, and the effort is part of a broader aim to help the most traumatized children regain a sense of childhood despite ongoing conflict.