‘Marathon’ shines light on Gaza’s orphaned children and humanitarian crisis

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – As soon as the whistle blew, they all dashed off – and for a brief moment, nobody focused on the destruction surrounding them.Cheered on by relatives and friends, dozens of young boys and girls on Friday took part in a race aimed at highlighting the struggles of children who have lost one or both parents during Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israeli strikes kill at least six, including children, across Gaza Striplist 2 of 3Several children killed and wounded in Israeli attacks across Gazalist 3 of 3War and shortages push Gaza hospitals to breaking pointend of list“I miss my father every day. He used to take care of everything for us,” said 13-year-old Saif Hijazi, whose father, Rami Hijazi, was killed in an Israeli attack that hit the family home in northern Gaza in January 2024.Unlike the other children, Saif was not able to join in the running. Paralysed since January 2025, when Israeli artillery shelling hit near his displaced family’s tent, he watched from his wheelchair as his younger siblings ran alongside other orphaned children.“Since I was injured, I can’t walk or move on...