Children Swim Again on Gaza's Beaches After Three Years of War

Volunteers built five pools from sandbags and rubble on central Gaza's beaches, bringing back swimming classes after three years of war. Coach Amjed Tantesh, who started Gaza's first swimming academy over twenty years ago, led the effort in summer 2026. Mornings are free for children whose parents were killed in Israeli attacks; afternoons are open to everyone. The classes happen against a backdrop of deep crisis: no school for three years, a mental health emergency the UN has flagged, and stunting — where lack of food stunts children's growth — that no pool can fix.