Children make up nearly half of Gaza's population. Here's what it means for the war
The population of Gaza is one of the youngest in the world. Here's why, what it means for this war, and what it means for the future.
by Linah Mohammad
Oct 19, 2023
4 minutes
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When Fidaa Al-Araj received the pre-recorded message last week telling her to evacuate her home because the area was about to be bombed, she first thought of her children.
To her surprise, they had actually beaten her to the street.
The day before, an Israeli airstrike had hit her cousin's house, killing his wife, mother and children. Those kids were close to Al-Araj's children in age. They were friends.
"My daughter said to me, 'What are you waiting for?'" Al-Araj recalled. "'Yesterday, we were crying for our cousins. Do you want people to cry over our dead bodies today?' So I had to leave."
The family left their home in Gaza City and started a days-long journey
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