“Gaza holds no schools as all schools are destroyed due to Israel’s ongoing war atrocities. The situation has resulted in dozens of Palestinian children being martyred.”

These are the heartbreaking words of a former teacher and leader of non-violent resistance in the colonization and wall resistance commission, Abdallah Abu Ragma.

According to Ragma, most of the killings carried out by Israeli forces are 40% of children.

“In the West Bank, however, we try to support the children as they show fears of the war because they follow news about the children killed in the war,” said Ragma.

He further explained the lack of resources and how teachers try to facilitate support for traumatised children in Gaza as these children follow the news of those who passed on as martyrs.

“The teachers try to encourage the student to help them in terms of support so they can be less traumatised and function as normal children but it is not easy.”

Ragma added that before, teachers would talk to students about the political situation but now, more than ever, teachers have to preach about the unity and solidarity of Palestinians to help students keep the faith.

Psychiatrist and Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme Dr Yasser Abu Jamei said different Palestinian children experience different types of trauma, depending on age and degree of trauma. Because of this, they exhibit different symptoms based on the severity of the trauma.

“The young children would tend to cling more to the parents as much as possible, especially during the traumatic events like the genocide committed against Palestinians,” said Jamei.

“They would develop bed wetting in the evening, and that is a sign of seeking help. Others would start to show changes in their behaviour, such as hyperactiveness and startle response. They start to act out and become less disciplined by disobeying their parents and becoming aggressive with each other,” added Jamei.

Depending on age, explained Jamei, they can develop different physical complaints such as pains in the ankles, knees, and abdomen area.

Jamei further explained some of the trauma responses from young Palestinian children.

“The very young children develop problems with feeding, where they stop eating and drinking milk which later develops into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This will also lead to poor academic achievement because they struggle to concentrate,” reiterated Jamei.

He went on to describe the trauma resulting from the constant bombardment by Israeli forces under the current circumstances.

“They are in constant fear, very alert all the time, and they struggle to sleep at night since they are overwhelmed with fear. They are aware of the dangers, and they understand they can die anytime.”

The only way these children can overcome their trauma, said Jamei, is if there is a permanent ceasefire and an end to the constant bombardments.

“Only then can we make the necessary intervention and conduct assessments on the child. We do have three-day care centers and clinics that consist of mental health professionals, multi-disciplinary teams, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. But none of this works if the war events are consistent,” explained Jamei.

English language lecturer at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS), and volunteer for the welfare of women and children of Gaza, Abeer Barakat said all Palestinians, whether young or old, suffer from chronic PTSD, due to ongoing aggressions that Gaza faces.

“Some of these aggressions were extended for a long time, and others were very short. But because of the heavy bombing people face and then surviving these bombings, or even losing a family member, results in severe trauma,” asserted Barakat.

Barakat, who also provides psychological support for mothers and children affected by Israeli bombings, further shared her experience of working with traumatised learners who are deeply affected by the war.

“In the classroom, you can see these children cannot concentrate in classes. They get startled by any noise, they are nervous all the time, always in survival mode, and ready to escape or jump out of their chairs,” explained Barakat.

She further concluded by describing the current aggressions in Gaza, which, according to Barakat, is “nothing like they have experienced before.”

“People are being targeted in their homes while they are sleeping and if they survive, they are severely injured while some have lost not only family members but body parts.”

Irrespective of the age group, added Barakat, if you are living under war circumstances of this nature, all Palestinians need psychological treatment.

“Even medical professionals face a huge amount of trauma as they are constantly exposed to severely injured victims, which they have never encountered before. The war must end before we can address the trauma crisis on all levels,” proclaimed Barakat.

Furthermore, the latest massacre was committed against the Jabalia refugee camp, as recent reports cited the initial number of victims was estimated at 400, including those martyred and wounded.

This comes after the camp was bombed with six bombs, each weighing a ton of explosives, resulting in the destruction of the residential neighborhood.

Meanwhile, according to recent reports, the current death toll from Israeli attacks against Palestinians soars to a devastating 8, 525.

Photo: X/QudsNen