NPR

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.
A girl tries to collect usable belongings amid the wreckage of vehicles after the explosion at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.

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

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
Bringing A Tariff To A Graphite Fight
Graphite is sort of the one-hit wonder of minerals. And that hit? Pencils. Everyone loves to talk about pencils when it comes to graphite. If graphite were to perform a concert, they'd close out the show with "pencils," and everyone would clap and ch
NPR3 min read
Hold On To Your Wishes — There's A 'Spider In The Well'
There's trouble in the town of Bad Göodsburg! A wishing well has stopped working! NPR's Tamara Keith talks with Jess Hannigan about her new children's book, "Spider in the Well."
NPR3 min read
US National Security Adviser And Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Hold Security Deal Talks
President Joe Biden's national security adviser met early Sunday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss a wide-ranging security agreement between the countries.

Related Books & Audiobooks