Trapped and Scarred: The compounding mental harm inflicted on Palestinian children in Gaza

This brief looks at the immense impact of months of war on the mental health of children in Gaza and the West Bank, building on the findings of existing Save the Children research from 2018 and 2022.

The insights demonstrate that months of deadly bombardment, repeated forced displacement, and soaring risks of starvation and disease – on top of nearly 17 years of blockade – have caused profound mental harm to Palestinian children in Gaza.

It confirms that children are disproportionately affected by this crisis compared to adults, and without the right support to recover, are more vulnerable to suffering long-lasting damage.