Gaza Children Face Trauma, Violence Amid Ongoing Conflict

A girl looks over the destruction of Gaza City.

More than nine in 10 children in Gaza are showing signs of aggressive behaviour linked to over two years of conflict between Hamas and Israel, welfare agencies report.

Humanitarians warn that children’s sense of stability and security has been severely eroded as essential everyday services collapse, insisting that young Gazans will require “sustained, long-term efforts to recover.”

Assessments conducted in September by child safety partners, shared by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), found that 93% of children exhibited aggressive behaviour, and 90% were violent towards younger children. Sadness and withdrawal were also common (86%), along with disturbed sleep (79%) and widespread refusal to study (69%).

Daily violence persists

While a fragile ceasefire holds, deadly violence and insecurity have not fully ended. Israeli military strikes continue near or east of the so-called “Yellow Line,” where the military remains deployed, covering over 50% of the Gaza Strip, OCHA said.

The UN noted that access to the sea remains prohibited, with Palestinian fishers still being detained by Israeli forces. “In areas beyond the ‘Yellow Line’…daily detonations of residential buildings continue to be reported, and access to humanitarian assets, public infrastructure, and agricultural land remains restricted or altogether barred,” OCHA stated.

One million remain homeless

Out of Gaza’s 2.1 million population, around one million people live in 862 displacement sites. More than half of these are in Khan Younis, with others in Deir al Balah, Gaza and North Gaza governorates, and Rafah.

Overcrowding increases risks for girls and children, particularly those with disabilities, who face violence, neglect, and unsafe access to water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. The UN Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, reported that roughly 75,000 people live in 100 of its designated shelters and surrounding areas.

Rising anxiety among children

UN aid partners say children are experiencing heightened anxiety, behavioural changes, and concern over the ongoing lack of safe spaces. In the four weeks since a pause in fighting, humanitarian teams have delivered child protection services to over 132,000 children across Gaza, including nearly 1,600 children with disabilities and 45,000 caregivers.

Support provided includes individual psychological consultations, group sessions, stress management activities, recreational psychosocial support, and referrals for further assistance. The goal is to reach more than 100,000 children each month to meet the needs of nearly one million children in Gaza.

The developments come as Israeli authorities announced the reopening of Zikim crossing after an eight-week closure. The crossing, linking Israel and northern Gaza, will reopen for humanitarian cargo. UN teams have been repairing the road to Zikim and are conducting final checks, including for potential explosive hazards, to enable the resumption of cargo delivery.