Palestinian Children Traumatized After House Demolitions
A new study reports that Israeli demolitions of Palestinian houses in east Jerusalem are having a detrimental effect on the mental health of children who have lost their homes.
The 28 members of the extended Castiro family watched as Israeli forces demolished their home, in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of east Jerusalem, earlier this year. The defiant, angry Imran who yelled, screamed and cried at the scene of the demolition now feels as if his life has been drained out of him.
“I wake up at night panicking and cannot go back to sleep,” says Imran, 12. “I am tired in the morning and cannot go to school.”
He recalls soldiers just laughing at him as he tried to get past them to go to his house. He remembers three soldiers blocking and mocking him. This memory sits heavily with him.
Although Israel has considered east Jerusalem annexed land since its occupation of the West Bank in June 1967, the international community insists that east Jerusalem is occupied land and all Israeli settlements exist in violation of international law.
