Gazans Experience Psychological Trauma As A Result Of Israel's Military Campaign

JAKARTA - Residents of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are suffering from "fire mountains" psychological trauma due to Israel's devastating military campaign, which has become increasingly evident since the ceasefire last month, according to Palestinian mental health specialists.

Two years of intense Israeli bombings and repeated military attacks that local health authorities say have killed more than 68,000 people, along with widespread homeless and starving, have affected the entire 2.3 million Palestinian enclave residents.

This crisis is evident from the large number of people who are now seeking treatment from the Gaza City Mental Health Hospital team, who are now working in a nearby clinic because their buildings were damaged, said Gaza City Mental Health Hospital Head Abdallah al-Jamal.

"With the start of the ceasefire, it feels like a volcano erupting among patients seeking mental health services. Even the existing stigma, the fear of visiting psychologists, is now gone," he said, describing a "very large increase" in the number of patients before the conflict. November 4th.

Jamal and a colleague worked as well as possible, but as hospitals were badly damaged, their resources were limited and they had to share rooms, so patients could not consult privately.

"To be honest, it is very offensive in terms of the services provided, but we are trying our best to find alternatives," he said of more than 100 patients they handle there every day.

Among the children, there are widespread reports of night terror, fire, and other symptoms including the inability to concentrate, a mental health specialist from the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

"Gaza children are now suffering from a shortage of food, water, shelter, and clothing," said Nivine Abdelhadi, a specialist in the organization, offering activities for children that include games and stories.

It is known, although the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, repeated violations have been going on ever since.

However, this halted major wars in the conflict, sparked by Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies.