Swimming Brings Hope
A swimming pool in Khan Younis has become a rehabilitation space for Palestinian children who lost limbs or family members during the war in Gaza, using swimming to rebuild confidence and support their psychological recovery.
The initiative, run by HEAL Palestine with Tantish Swimming Academy, brings together amputees, orphans and other children affected by the conflict.
Footage shows children, including amputees, training with coaches in the pool. A sign identifies the initiative as the ‘Waves of Hope Project for Teaching Swimming to Orphaned and Amputee Children’.
“I now want to contribute to making these people happy, those who have been deprived of swimming, including survivors and amputees. We do not necessarily have to swim or learn to swim perfectly; that is not the main goal. What matters is that I am there and that I help them feel happy, strengthen their psychological well-being, and move from negative energy to positive energy,” said swimming coach Nour Qashqas.
Children Rebuild Confidence
Trainee Ahmed Al-Masri said losing a limb had not stopped him from returning to a sport he loved.
“The first time I entered the pool, I was confident in myself. Despite the amputation and everything else, it did not affect me. I was confident in myself and swam normally.”
“The difficulty increases gradually from one child to another. When a child has an amputation in one leg, it is relatively easier to work with them. Then we move to a more difficult stage when they have amputations in both limbs. It becomes even more challenging when they have an amputation in one foot and one hand, and the difficulty increases further when a person has suffered an amputation in addition to losing all of their family members,” said coach Saadi Al-Masri.
He added that the team uses swimming to help cope with the psychological trauma they have experienced.
Long-Term Recovery Needs
HEAL Palestine says the programme grew from a need for sporting activities among children already enrolled in its projects. The organisation has also launched a football academy for amputees across Gaza.
The need for long-term rehabilitation in Gaza has risen sharply since October 2023. The World Health Organization estimated in May 2026 that about 43,000 of roughly 172,000 people injured had suffered life-changing injuries, including around 10,000 children.
It recorded more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and more than 22,000 major limb injuries.
Article by Viory
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