The Gaza Nippers program, Palestine’s chapter of an Australian junior surf lifesaving initiative, has returned to operation following a three-year hiatus caused by military conflict. The program was originally launched in mid-2023 but was indefinitely suspended in October after regional hostilities intensified. Organizers recently held a beach session near the Al-Shati refugee camp, allowing children to participate in swimming and recreational activities.
The program’s resurgence carries significant personal weight for Hassan Al-Habeel, a Palestinian coordinator who trained in Sydney and has overseen efforts to revive the initiative. Of the 45 children originally enrolled, only 15 have been located and made contact with; the remainder remain missing, unreachable, or have died during the conflict. Al-Habeel’s own 15-year-old son, Ali, died from lack of access to food and medicine during the war, which he had hoped to eventually train as a lifeguard.
Logistical obstacles complicated the program’s restart. Much of the donated equipment from the Australian sponsor organization had been lost or destroyed, prompting fundraising efforts to replace surfboards and protective gear. Organizers spent months coordinating with local contacts to identify an appropriate launch date that would not endanger participants, with multiple postponements occurring even after a ceasefire agreement. The session finally took place on 25 September 2026.
Program co-founder Shamikh Badra, based in Australia, worked extensively with Al-Habeel to confirm the status of original participants, relying on word-of-mouth reports from family networks still in Gaza. He noted that selecting participants proved more difficult than in previous years, as widespread displacement and humanitarian challenges have affected nearly all children in the territory. Program organizers plan to resume operations again in the following summer season, viewing the initiative as providing crucial psychological support and normalcy for young people living under difficult circumstances.
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