What is usually a joyful milestone for families became a solemn reminder of loss in Gaza as more than 1,000 children orphaned by the war took part in a graduation ceremony with no parents to applaud them.
Wearing caps and gowns and clutching photos of their parents, the children took to the stage on Monday in a bittersweet ceremony organised by Al Wafaa Village, a sanctuary for orphans in Khan Younis. This was the first graduating class at the centre since it opened its doors in January.
In a video shared on social media by Palestinian journalist Abdallah Al Attar, the children are seen wiping away tears in the absence of the people they longed for most.
The children range in age from six to 13 and will start their next academic year at Al Wafaa Village next month.
"The children were emotional because they remembered their parents, whom they miss deeply," Mr Al Attar said. "Many of these kids have known loss before even starting school."
Wafaa Abu Jalala, a speech and language pathologist, founded the centre to care for children "who lost everything overnight", she previously told The National. The village provides shelter as well as psychological and social support to children who have lost one or both parents in Israel's war on Gaza.
Palestinian authorities say more than 5,000 families have only one surviving member after more than 22 months of the conflict. Most of these sole survivors are children, said Ismail Al Thawabteh, director of the Gaza's government media office.
The staggering statistic has raised concerns over how the trauma and grief that children in Gaza have faced will affect them in the long run.
The UN in June named Israel on its "list of shame" for grave abuse of children, for the second year running. Almost two years of horrific violence in Gaza have left deep emotional wounds on the war's youngest victims, parents and psychologists told The National.
With its Smurf-inspired interior and expert-led rehabilitation programme, Al Wafaa Village aims to offer children an escape and refuge from the tragedies of war. "They come in with shattered spirits but here they find hope and life," Ms Abu Jalala said.
Mr Al Attar said the organisers of the graduation ceremony believe it sends a message of hope and resilience to Gaza's youth. "These children want to study, they want to live and they want a better future," he said.
