Childhood Under the Rubble.. The Story of Little 'Hassan' Who Supports 9 Family Members from Gaza's Debris

Ten-year-old Hassan Saad found himself forced to play the role of family head overnight, becoming solely responsible for supporting nine family members in the Gaza Strip. With the war entering its thirtieth month, there is no longer room for a normal childhood, as Hassan spends his day among piles of rubble and debris searching for a livelihood.

Hassan's daily task focuses on moving between the destroyed neighborhoods of Gaza, such as Shuja'iyya and Zeitoun, to collect salvageable stones and bricks resulting from the shelling that affected 90% of the Strip's buildings. The child uses his hammer and chisel to clean the stones from cement residue, in preparation for their reuse in primitive and temporary construction operations.

In return for this arduous effort that drains his small energy, Hassan receives a meager wage not exceeding 20 shekels daily, an amount barely enough to feed his family amidst a wave of exorbitant price increases hitting the markets. The child confirms that this work is not suitable for his age, but the lack of alternatives and dire need push him to continue despite the physical dangers surrounding him.

His mother, Yusra Saad, speaks bitterly about her son's condition as she pours water on his head to relieve the heat of the scorching sun he is exposed to for long hours. The mother says that what Hassan earns is the family's only income, noting that she lives in a constant state of anxiety, fearing heavy stones falling on his frail body.

Hassan suffers from chronic back and head pains as a result of the heavy loads he carries on his small shoulders to trucks, and he has already sustained several injuries and fractures in his hands and feet. The child describes his suffering, saying that he finds it very difficult to sleep due to the pains that plague his body, emphasizing that these arduous tasks are for adults, not children.

The tragedy is not limited to Hassan alone but extends to the owners of destroyed homes who are forced to sell the stones of their demolished houses to secure the price of food and drink. The child pities these people who face miserable conditions, considering that everyone in Gaza has become hostage to a bitter reality imposed by the war machine that has been ongoing for two and a half years.

Hassan's family lives in a dilapidated tent that leaks water, which increases the child's determination to continue working despite physical and psychological fatigue. The mother says that the harsh conditions have left them no other choice, either hard work or hunger in the absence of sufficient aid and the destruction of the Strip's economic infrastructure.

Despite all this hardship, Hassan still dreams of returning to school and living in safety and peace like other children in the world, away from the noise of hammers and the weight of stones. The little one hopes that this war will end so he can return to his normal life, where he can sleep without pain and wake up to go to school instead of rubble sites.

Hassan's story comes in a broader tragic context, as data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics indicates that more than 18,500 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the aggression. Forced child labor is one of the harshest consequences of the war, which has deprived an entire generation of its basic rights to education, protection, and a dignified life.

This work is not for children like me but for adults; I sleep with difficulty and complain of pains all over my body.