The program, first launched on the shores of Sydney in 2017 and modelled on Australia's junior surf lifesaving initiative, managed only one full summer season in mid-2023 before it was indefinitely suspended as Israel began its military offensive into Gaza. The war followed the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Since then, Israel's campaign has killed 73,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and reduced large parts of Gaza to rubble.
Hassan Al-Habeel, the Palestinian coordinator in his 40s who trained at North Steyne Royal Surf Lifesaving Club in Sydney's northern beaches in 2019-20, said the return was tinged with sadness. Among those lost was his 15-year-old son Ali, who died in his father's arms before reaching hospital due to blockades and bombings. "I wanted to prepare [Ali] to be a lifeguard, so when he gets older, he would teach children how to swim on the shores of Gaza," Al-Habeel said in footage of the event. "But unfortunately, the war took Ali from us as it took many children in Gaza. And now I see children play without Ali, which is difficult for me, but what can we do? That's the decree of God."
Shamikh Badra, the program's co-founder who lives in Australia, worked with Al-Habeel to track down the children, relying on word of mouth from friends and family. The decision to restart came after a ceasefire was agreed in October 2025, but intermittent bombings pushed back the launch date repeatedly. Equipment originally donated by North Steyne RSLC had been lost or destroyed; the Northern Beaches Committee for Palestine raised funds for new body boards and rash vests. Badra, who waited anxiously for news on the day, said the selection process was agonising: "Some of my friends told me all the children are suffering now, not like before … it's no safe place."