In Gaza, the sound of the sea and any sudden loud noise can trigger fear in children. Born into conflict and raised amidst displacement, their world is defined by the echoes of war. What others perceive as normal, they experience as foreign and frightening.
For these children, fear isn’t limited to the sound of warplanes. It awakens with any unexpected noise, shadowing their play, their sleep, and their first encounters with life. This reveals the profound psychological impact of years of conflict on a generation that has never known safety.
Some children seeing the sea for the first time don’t see a space for play or respite. Instead, they hear something unsettling in the waves’ sound. The waves, which bring peace to others, become an unknown sound that evokes anxiety, as if their ears have only been trained to hear explosions.
Hassan Al-Jadi, the father of two-year-old Samar, explains how deeply the sounds of bombing and terror remain etched in his daughter’s memory. He notes that his daughter is afraid of simple things, such as riding in a car. He says that she panics when he tries to put her in a car, and she also shows great fear when she sees the sea.
Hassan attributes this to the fact that his daughter is seeing a car for the first time in her life, after getting used to traveling in carts pulled by animals during the war, which has had a clear impact on her daily behavior. He adds that the sounds of bombing and terror are still present in his daughter’s memory, confirming that these sounds create a constant fear of loud sounds and everything around her, including toys, cars, and even the sea.
Her father points out that every time she hears a loud noise, she runs to his arms in fear. This constant state of alert highlights the urgent need for psychological support for Gaza’s children. The trauma they have endured will have lasting consequences, and addressing their emotional scars is crucial for their future well-being.
