# Death Anxiety and Trauma in Forcibly Displaced Children in the Gaza Strip: A Critical Review of Emerging Research, 2024–2025

## TL;DR

This paper reviews recent research on the psychological effects of war and displacement on children in the Gaza Strip, highlighting high rates of trauma and the importance of resilience and political context.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a decolonial framework for understanding children's trauma, emphasizing structural and political factors over individual pathology.

## Key findings

- 70-90% of children in Gaza show symptoms of PTSD, depression, or anxiety due to war and displacement.
- Resilience in children is linked to family cohesion, faith, and cultural practices like Sumud.
- Community-based interventions are promising but hindered by systemic destruction and lack of sustainability.

## Abstract

This review synthesizes recent empirical and theoretical studies from 2024 to 2025 that examine the psychological effects of war, displacement, and siege on Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. It focuses on the interconnected issues of death anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, and resilience, aiming to frame mental health outcomes within structural and political contexts rather than within individual pathology.

Studies indicate that between 70 and 90% of children in the Gaza Strip meet criteria for PTSD or exhibit significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Continuous traumatic stress stems from prolonged bombardment, displacement, and loss, exacerbated by the collapse of mental health services. Qualitative evidence reveals widespread death anxiety, anticipatory grief, and moral injury. However, resilience rooted in family cohesion, faith, education, and Sumud (steadfastness) remains a key protective factor. Community-based interventions show potential but lack sustainability amid systemic destruction. Decolonial scholarship further challenges Western trauma models, treating children’s stories as acts of agency and epistemic resistance.

The psychological impact of the military siege and sustained attacks in the Gaza Strip on children is profound and enduring. Effective responses should integrate psychosocial, educational, and justice-oriented approaches to rebuild community systems and explicitly acknowledge the political conditions that shape children’s lives. Future research should employ longitudinal, participatory, and culturally grounded methods that link psychological recovery to social reconstruction and the restoration of dignity.