Gaza Widows and 300,000 Kids Find Refuge in UN Tents as Firebombs Torch Homes

Palestinian women in Gaza have lost their husbands to the war, leaving them to face hunger, homelessness, and isolation while trying to raise their children alone [180969]. Many now live in temporary camps with limited aid, struggling to find food, clean water, and medicine [180969]. The collapse of family support systems has made survival even harder for these widows, who must care for their children in a territory where basic needs are scarce [180969].

The United Nations reports that Israeli forces are using incendiary weapons—designed to ignite fires—in densely populated areas of Gaza [180871]. These “firebombs” have set homes and structures ablaze, forcing families to evacuate their neighborhoods and triggering new waves of displacement [180871]. The UN has not provided specific casualty figures but emphasized the growing humanitarian toll [180871].

For displaced children, the war has left deep psychological scars. More than 70% of Gaza’s schools were destroyed by Israeli attacks, and remaining buildings became crowded shelters [176339]. At least 660,000 Palestinian students were completely deprived of education during the first year of the Israeli offensive [176339]. After a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) launched an online learning program for about 277,700 students, then focused on opening temporary learning spaces in its shelters [176339]. By late October 2025, UNRWA had established more than 350 temporary learning spaces across Gaza, serving over 300,000 students [176339].

Layla al-Suwaisi, 30, lives with her two sons in a narrow tent in Al-Zawayda, central Gaza, after their home in northern Gaza was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike [176339]. Her husband left six years ago to find work abroad and cannot return [176339]. She says her sons spent their days searching for food, carrying water, and collecting firewood instead of learning and playing [176339]. When UNRWA opened an educational space near her camp, she described it as “the most important change in my children’s lives since October 2023” [176339]. She added, “I have noticed a huge psychological change in my children since they started attending classes. They have stopped obsessing over bombings, displacement, and terror. This space has become their escape” [176339].

The top Catholic and Greek Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem began a two-day visit to Gaza, meeting with clergy and Christian families affected by the war [179660]. The patriarchs described their trip as a “message of hope” for the territory’s dwindling Christian community, visiting churches and shelters to offer support amid severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies [179660]. The visit comes as the humanitarian crisis worsens following months of intense Israeli military operations, with local officials reporting widespread destruction and a collapsing health system [179660].