GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The 11-day war on the Gaza Strip ended on May 21 but inflicted lasting psychological trauma and behavioral changes on children in Gaza, due to what they witnessed during the bombing, the destruction of high-rise towers and the killings of entire families. 

Approximately 65 children were killed and 540 were injured, and UNICEF stated that about 500,000 children may need psychological support. UNICEF said pre-war statistics indicated that one out of every three children in Gaza needed psychological and social support.

Umm Ahmed, 38, fled her house in the Shujaiya neighborhood one day after the war began with her five children — the oldest of whom is 12 and the youngest 3. She took refuge in her relatives' home because she feared her house would be bombed and destroyed like it was in the 2014 war. “I did not fear for myself, but I was afraid of losing my children, especially since my husband works for one of the military wings of the resistance and we could not see him during the war,” she told Al-Monitor.

She said her children were frightened during the night by the intensity of the bombings. Her little girl was making up frightening stories about planes bombing the house and killing her father, and she kept asking about him. Meanwhile, two of her children now suffer involuntary urination during the night.