Child labour has risen sharply in Gaza, where youngsters toiling in garages and on construction sites have become breadwinners for families feeling the brunt of the Palestinian enclave's 43 percent unemployment rate.
Sabri Attalah, 17, works along with family members at a pottery workshop and earns around 25 Shekels ($6.4) a day. Attalah who quit school, aspired to be a design engineer.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
In the past five years, the number of working children between the ages of 10 and 17 has doubled to 9,700 in the territory, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics.
The bureau said 2,900 of those children are below the legal employment age of 15.
Mohammad Dader, 12, whose father is a milk seller, quit school and works as apprentice mechanic. Dader earns 30 Shekels ($7.7) a week to help his father support their family. He hopes to own a garage in the future.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Ahmed Baker, 16, whose father is unemployed, sells hot drinks. Baker earns around 20 Shekels ($5.1) a day and he is the sole breadwinner for his family. He hoped to be a doctor before quitting school.
Economists in the narrow coastal strip, home to 1.9 million Palestinians, estimate the real number of underage workers could be twice as high.
The increase in Gaza goes against trends. The International Labour Organization says the worldwide number of children in labour has fallen by a third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million, with more than a fifth in sub-Saharan Africa.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
At one garage in downtown Gaza, 16-year-old Mahmoud Yazji and another boy, aged 12, work nine hours a day. Mahmoud said he earns the equivalent of $13 a week; the younger boy takes home half of that.
"My father makes 1,000 shekels ($258) a month. It disappears in a few days and we struggle for the rest of the month," Mahmoud said.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Haitham Khzaiq, 16, quit school six months ago to sell candy apples to visitors at Gaza's newly developed seaport, a major picnic venue. He works a half-day, seven days a week, and said he earns a total of 20 shekels ($5).
"We are five brothers and eight sisters. I am the oldest son and I had to work because my father is unemployed," he said. "I don't earn enough but it is better than nothing and it is better than begging people for money."
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Mohammad al-Bana, 10, whose father is unemployed, sells mint at a market and earns around 10 Shekels ($2.5) per day. Bana works after school. He hopes to continue education and become an engineer.
A devastating 2014 war between Palestinian militants and Israel, border restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt and the destruction of cross-border smuggling tunnels by an Egyptian government at odds with Gaza's Hamas rulers have contributed to economic hardship in the territory.
The United Nations estimates that 80 percent of the population is aid dependent, with unemployment rising to its current level from around 35 percent five years ago.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Mahand Salama, 13, whose father is unemployed, hires out his toy car. Salama charges 1 Shekel ($0.25) per ride and earns around 25 Shekels ($6.4) a day. He and his two brothers are the main breadwinners for their family. Salama still attends school and hopes to be a doctor.
A gap is evident on the Gaza beachfront, where child vendors lugging trays of tea, coffee and snacks mingle with other children using expensive cellphones to record their family picnics. Several smart hotels overlook the port and beachfront.
A Dutch-funded organisation, El-Wedad Society for Community Rehabilitation, has been running a project for three years aimed at convincing families in Gaza of the importance of returning working children to the classroom.
"We are very worried. We feel children's rights are being trampled on," said Naeem al-Ghalban, who heads the society.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Mahmoud al-Sindawi, 15, whose father is unemployed, sells balloons and footballs. Sindawi earns around 25 Shekels ($6.4) a day and he and his brother are the main breadwinners for their family. He still attends school and hopes to be a trader.
Its representatives visit the homes of working children they meet on the street and invite them to guidance sessions at the organisation's headquarters. Children are taken for visits to Gaza's colleges to show them what could lie ahead if they go back to school.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Abed al-Kareem Yassin, 16, whose father is unemployed, works at a construction site. He earns 40 Shekels ($10.3) a day and he and his two brothers are the main breadwinners for his family. Yassin, who quit school, hopes to be a mechanic.
Ghalban said that over the past three years, some 50 working children have taken up their studies again as a result of the organisation's efforts.
"We have managed to persuade some families that educating their children is far better and more valuable than the little money they make," he said.
. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories. Reuters/Mohammed Salem
Mohammad al-Asi, 16, repairs a fishing net. Asi, who helps his father support their family, earns around 50 Shekels ($12.9) per week. Asi quit school two years ago and hopes to be a fisherman.
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