Israeli Children Struggle with Psychological Issues with Aerial Strikes

Southern Israel is a frequent target of air strikes from Palestinians. In March 2012, there was a barrage of attacks, killing 25 Palestinians and wounding four people in Israel. Although these are the numbers that make it on the news, there are other casualties….children. Many children experience trauma from these attacks. Some even suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Even though many children are treated for PTSD and improve, when the next series of attacks hit, the trauma returns. In the past ten years, approximately 12,000 rockets from Gaza have hit Southern Israel.

Dr. Hasan Shaban Zeyada, head of the Gaza Mental Health Center says that trauma causes feelings of powerlessness and, as the conflict drags on, hopelessness, which poses one of the biggest obstacles to recovery.

Here at Song For Israel, we are looking into the possibility of raising money to build one shelter. The cost to build one small shelter is approximately $10,000. Of course, this is a drop in the hat for what it needed to help all Israel, but we can start with one, right? Please pray as we take steps to make this happen. The process is long.

Pray for the children in Israel, who suffer daily, knowing that another country wants them dead. Pray for the parents of these children, who often feel helpless to protect their own from the trauma they face regularly.