Testimonies from “Listen to Gaza” 12/07/2025
The following extracts are testimonies from the Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) therapy team in Gaza. They have witnessed and endured the ongoing genocide and in this meeting had opportunities to share what they see, feel and think with their supporters in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
Dr. Omar
The Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are being subjected to genocide and a policy of starvation. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 65,000 people have been killed and 135,000 wounded, the majority of whom are women and children. These include 14,000 children and over 5,000 people with disabilities. 18,000 children have been orphaned.
The systematic starvation policy has led to over 85% of Gaza’s population suffering from malnutrition, especially children, due to a severe shortage of food and clean drinking water. For more than four months, the occupation has closed the Gaza crossings and prevented the entry of food and medicine, causing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Most of Gaza’s hospitals have been completely or partially destroyed, rendering them non-operational, while the remaining ones suffer from a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies. In addition, the medical teams are exhausted and overwhelmed, working around the clock under extremely difficult conditions.
The situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, and most of the population is experiencing psychological trauma, either directly or indirectly, especially children.
The team at Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) are doing their best to serve their people in Gaza, making great efforts to provide individual and group psychosocial support to children, women, and families. However, these efforts are not enough in the face of ongoing psychological trauma and constant bombardment, with the biggest challenge still ahead after a ceasefire is reached.
The people of Gaza need the support and solidarity of the free world.
We draw strength and resilience from your support — please don’t stop.
Alaa
كل الاحترام للحضور الكريم ،،، نتمني أن تكونوا بخير،،، خلال فترة الحرب علي غزة يتم تنفيذ جلسات دعم نفسي للأمهات والأطفال الذين انحرمو من ادني متطلباتهم الأساسية ومن طفولتهم ويتم تنفيذ جلسات الدعم النفسي علي برنامج التركيز وساند لفئة الاطفال وكان هناك تفاعل علي أنشطة الترفيهية والحركية منها التعبير عن المشاعر بالرسم وايضا الاسترخاء ولوحظ بعض الأطفال لديهم صعوبة في تكوين علاقات بين أقرانهم بسبب المسؤولية الواقعه عليهم من انتظار طابور المياه للشرب وانتظار طابور التكية ومن النزوح والتجويع ،،هذه المسؤلية جعلت الأطفال اكبر من أعمارهم ،،
وكان هناك اطفال تردد يارب نموت شهداء وما نموت من الجوع والقهر ،،، وهناك اطفال بعد جلسات التعبير عن المشاعر بعض الأطفال يرفضوا التعبير ومشاركة مشاعرهم والاحتفاظ بالرسم كون أغلب الاطفال فقدوا السند وهو الاب والام ،،
ونتمنى الاستمرار في تقديم الدعم النفسي للشعب الفلسطيني
Honorable attendees, we hope you are doing well.
During the war on Gaza, we are giving psychological support to mothers and children who have been deprived of their basic needs and childhood. These sessions are being implemented through the Focusing and SANID programs for children, and there has been a positive response to recreational and kinetic activities, such as expressing emotions through drawing and relaxation. However, some children have been observed to have difficulty forming relationships with their peers due to the responsibilities they have taken on, such as waiting in line for water and food, displacement, and hunger. These responsibilities have made the children seem older than their actual age. Some children have even expressed a desire to die as martyrs rather than die from hunger and oppression. After sessions of expressing emotions, some children refuse to share their feelings and prefer to keep their drawings to themselves, likely due to the loss of parental support. We hope to continue providing psychological support to the Palestinian people.
Eman
يعاني الاطفال في غزة من مشاكل نفسية وسلوكية وفكرية عديدة نتيجة ما يمرون به في هذه الحرب الطاحنة ومن هذه المشاكل النفسية والتي نلامسها من خلال اطفالنا وواطفال اقاربنا داخل المنزل..
_الخوف الشديد من القصف وصوت الطيران والترقب الدائم لاي قصف .
_ الحزن الدائم على فقدان كلل مقومات الحياة قبل الحرب.
_ التنمر _ العدوانية_ العصبية والغضب الشديد_ تمني الموت بكل لحظة_ العزلة وتجنب التواصل مع الاخرين_ عدم الشعور بالامان
كما ان هناك مشاكل فكرية ..فأصبح اخر همهم التعليم لان هناك اولويات بنظرهم متل (طابور المياة الحلوة_ البحث عن الطحين _ البحث عن الاخشاب والاوراق لاشعال النار والطبيخ) كما ان الاطفال يعانون من فقدان الشغف وعدم الاستمتاع باي شي..والاصعب ان جميع الاطفال ينامون خائفين وجائعين
وانا ك ام اجد صعوبة بتوفير اقل احتياجات اطفالي وابكي عليهم لعدم قدرتي على توفير اقل القليل من الطعام لهم وعدم القدرة على توفير حفاظات لطفلي الصغير واعاني بتنظيفه رغما عنه
Children in Gaza are suffering from numerous psychological, behavioral, and cognitive problems because of the brutal war they are experiencing. Some of these psychological problems that we observe in our children and relatives include:
Intense fear of bombing and the sound of aircraft, with constant anticipation of attacks.
Persistent sadness due to the loss of all basic necessities of life.
Bullying*, aggression, irritability, and extreme anger.
*Wishing for death* at any moment.
Social isolation and avoidance of interaction with others.
Lack of sense of security.
Additionally, there are cognitive problems, as education is no longer a priority for them. Instead, their priorities include:
Waiting in line for clean water.
Searching for flour.
Gathering firewood and paper to start fires for cooking.
Children are also experiencing:
Loss of enthusiasm and lack of enjoyment in anything.
Sleeping in fear and hunger.
As a mother, I find it difficult to provide even the basic needs for my children, and I cry over my inability to provide them with even a little food or diapers for my youngest child. I struggle to clean him despite my best efforts.
Samar
بداية أتقدم بالشكر الجزيل للجميع .. و شكرا لتعاطفكم مع غزة ..و شكرا لوجودك و حسن استماعكم
لو أردنا الحديث عن الطفولة في غزة .. فالطفل في غزة له خصوصية مختلفة تماما عن باقي أطفال العالم .. و من المؤلم القول ان الطفولة انعدمت لدى الطفل الغزى .. حيث فقدان الأمن و الأمان ، وكثرة الأعباء الواقعة على كاهل الطفل في غزة .. فعلي سبيل المثال فالطفل في غزة يستقظ على كم من المآسي و الام من فقدان و جوع و خوف و تشرد
و لو أردنا الحديث عن الوضع النفسي للطفل في غزة ، حيث يعاني الأطفال كثير من الاعراض النفسية .. كالخوف و التوتر و القلق و التبول اللارادي ، و الخوف من فكرة الموت ( ففكرة الموت تترد و بشكل قوي على لسان الأطفال ) و أيضا عدم القدرة على إقامة علاقات اجتماعية مع الآخرين..
ولو تحدثنا عن دور الأخصائي النفسي في هذه المرحلة، حيث يجب علينا كأخصائيين التدخل في هذه المرحلة بطريقة آمنة و واعية جدا تساعده في التعبير عن مشاعره .. لماذا .. لأنه الطفل مازال واقع تحت تأثير الحدث الصادم ، و ما زلنا جميعا نعاني في غزة ..
في علي سبيل المثال .. أثناء زيارتي لأسرة شهيدة تسكن في مخيمات الإيواء غرب مدينة غزة .. فخلال وجودي مع الأسرة لاحظت طفل انطوائي غير مشارك بالحديث و يبدو عليه الكثير من التوتر و عدم المشاركة ... فهنا حاولت إشراك الطفل خلال نشاط " التعبير عن المشاعر من خلال الرسم حيث عبر الطفل عن مشاعره خلال رسمه لصورة قبر و بجانبه طفل صغير يبكي
فخلال سؤال الطفل عن مشاعره بكى طويلا و هوه يحاول يصف اشتياقه و احتياجه الكبير لوالده الشهيد الذي فقده خلال نزوح الأسرة من حي الشجاعية شرق مدينة غزة .. و عدم تمكن الطفل من وداع لوالده الشهيد ..
فهنا كان التدخل بطريقة آمنة و واعية مع الطفل للحفاظ على مشاعره .. إضافة إلى تعزيز دور الأسرة ككل و الأم بشكل خاص لمراعاة الوضع النفسي للطفل ..
و ختاما يمكن القول ان الأطفال في غزة بحاجة لدعم نفسي عاجل لتخفيف من آثار الصدمات النفسية التى ما زالوا يتعرضون لها
I would like to start by expressing my deepest gratitude to everyone. Thank you for your empathy with Gaza. Thank you for your presence and for listening attentively. If we want to talk about childhood in Gaza, the child in Gaza has a unique experience that is entirely different from that of children in the rest of the world. It's painful to report that childhood has been lost for the Gazan child. They have lost security and safety, and there are many burdens placed on their shoulders. For example, a child in Gaza wakes up to a multitude of tragedies and sorrows, including loss, hunger, fear, and displacement.
Every child in Gaza suffers from fear, anxiety, bedwetting, and fear of death (the idea of death is strongly prevalent in children's language). They also struggle to form social relationships with others.
As a psychologist, our role in this stage is crucial. We must intervene in a safe and aware manner to help the children express their feelings. Why? Because the child is still under the impact of the traumatic event, and we are all still suffering in Gaza.
For instance, during a visit to a martyr's family living in a shelter camp west of Gaza City, I noticed a withdrawn child who didn't participate in the conversation and seemed very tense and unwilling to engage. I tried to involve the child in an activity called "expressing feelings through drawing." The child drew a picture of a grave with a small child crying next to it. When I asked the child about his feelings, he cried for a long time, describing his longing and great need for his father, who was martyred during the family's displacement from the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City. The child couldn't say goodbye to his father.
In this situation, it was essential to intervene sensitively to preserve the child's feelings and support the family, especially the mother, in caring for the child's psychological well-being.
In conclusion, children in Gaza urgently need psychological support to alleviate the ongoing effects of the psychological trauma they are still experiencing.
Dr. Said:
My name is Said,
I live in Gaza. My home was destroyed at the beginning of the war. Since then, I’ve been displaced several times, moving from one unsafe place to another. I lost my mother during this war, and I couldn’t say a proper goodbye. Three of my brothers were also killed, along with their families.
There has been no electricity for two years. We rely on very basic and primitive alternatives — small batteries, handmade solar panels, or power banks — just to charge phones or light a single room. We stand in long lines for drinking water. Sometimes we walk back with nothing.
Transportation is nearly impossible. I often have to walk long distances in extreme heat, sometimes under bombing, or ride on donkey carts — the donkeys themselves exhausted and starving. Prices are extremely high, and there is a severe shortage of basic items. Even when we have money in our bank accounts, we’re forced to withdraw it at a 50% loss — giving half to currency traders, just to get cash.
Most hospitals are now out of service. Even treatable illnesses have become fatal due to the total collapse of the health system and the lack of basic medical supplies. Schools are shut down. Organized education has stopped completely. Children have lost not only their homes but also their right to learn. They ask heartbreaking questions about the war: Why is this happening? Are we going to die too? When will it end? We have no honest answers.
I work in mental health, offering support to families, even while grieving myself. Sessions are held in unsafe places, or canceled due to bombings or lack of internet. We live under constant fear. Even in moments of silence, we’re waiting for the next explosion. There is no access to clean water in Gaza, and the overcrowded shelters combined with extreme summer heat could lead to severe public health consequences.
The siege must be lifted, and we must be allowed to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid — including essential hygiene supplies — to Gaza.
Hadeel
أطفال غزة يعانون من مشاكل عدة منها سلوكية ونفسية خطيرة نتيجة التعرض المستمر للحرب والعدوان والحرمان. هذه الظروف القاسية التى بعيشونها تؤثر عليهم بشكل كبير حيث على نموهم النفسي والعاطفي والسلوكي وكان من أهم المشاكل السلوكية التي تظهر عند أطفال غزة خلال الحرب
1- القلق والخوف المستمر
خوف مفرط من الأصوات العالية وخاصة اصوات القصف أو الظلام العتمة وخاصة عند ذهابهم للحمام أو الانفصال عن الأهل بسبب الفقدان
السلوكيات المرتبطة: البكاء المفاجئ، التعلق الزائد بالأهل، اضطرابات النوم
2- التبول اللاإرادي
3- العدوانية
وأيضا السلوكيات المرتبطة: مثل الضرب، الصراخ، تكسير الأشياء
4- الانطواء والعزلة
وأيضا قلة الكلام، عدم الرغبة في اللعب أو الدراسة
5- صعوبات التركيز وضعف التحصيل الدراسي
6- الاكتئاب والحزن الشديد
وذلك بسبب فقدان الاهتمام بالأنشطة اليومية، مزاج حزين لفترات طويلة او فقدان احد من افراد العائلة
- اضطرابات النوم مثل صعوبة في النوم، كوابيس ليلية متكررة
Children in Gaza are suffering from several behavioral and psychological problems due to continuous exposure to war, aggression, and deprivation. These harsh conditions significantly impact their psychological, emotional, and behavioral development. Some of the most prominent behavioral problems observed in children in Gaza during the war include:
Anxiety and persistent fear: Excessive fear of loud noises, especially bombing sounds, and darkness, particularly when going to the bathroom or separating from parents due to loss. Associated behaviors include:
Sudden crying, excessive attachment to parents, and sleep disturbances.
Bedwetting: A common issue among children in Gaza during the war.
Aggression: Associated behaviors include:
Hitting, screaming, and breaking things.
Withdrawal and isolation: Characterized by:
Reduced speech, lack of interest in playing or studying.
Difficulty concentrating and poor academic performance: Children struggle to focus and perform well academically due to the trauma they are experiencing.
Depression and intense sadness: Marked by:
Loss of interest in daily activities, prolonged sad mood, or loss of a family member.
Sleep disturbances: Including:
Difficulty falling asleep, recurring nightmares.
Many in the team expressed fear of more displacement which would disrupt the continuity of any therapeutic work. They saw contact with us in the UK, like this meeting, as a lifeline giving them some sense of reliable psychological support.
