Trauma and mental health in Gaza

Israeli occupation, bombs and oppression inflict not only physical but also psychological damage on Palestinians.

The May 20 ceasefire between the Israeli government and Hamas brought the latest round of conflict in the region to an end and led to a collective sigh of relief from the beleaguered Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. But the deep wounds the violence opened remain fresh. Eleven days of Israeli bombardment on the besieged enclave left 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, dead. Nearly 2,000 have been injured. Homes, offices and hospitals have been destroyed.