More than 50,000 women in the Gaza Strip are now registered as widows, according to Gaza's Ministry of Social Development, with nearly 28,000 having lost their husbands since the war began in 2023 — a figure officials say will rise as registration continues. Widows like Mona al-Masri, a mother of four living in a displacement tent in northern Gaza, describe confronting every aspect of survival alone, from securing water and food to shielding their children from psychological trauma, while experts warn of deepening anxiety and behavioural disorders among children who have lost a parent amid ongoing displacement. Meanwhile, families attempting to physically rebuild face additional obstacles, with civil defence teams reporting that Israel's continued blocking of heavy machinery is forcing residents to clear rubble from destroyed homes using only basic hand tools, further impeding recovery efforts.