Two Years of War Leave Gaza’s Children Fighting Invisible Wounds

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United Nations: For Gaza’s children, the sound of explosions has long replaced the laughter of play. Two years into one of the most relentless wars in the enclave’s history, an entire generation is growing up in fear, displacement, and trauma. The United Nations now warns that the psychological toll on Gaza’s youngest is nothing short of catastrophic.

According to new assessments shared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 90 per cent of Gaza’s children are showing signs of aggressive behaviour, a reflection of their shattered sense of security and the collapse of normal life.

Nearly nine in ten have turned violent towards younger children, while sadness, withdrawal, and disturbed sleep have become heartbreakingly common.

“Children in Gaza have been living through unimaginable horror,” said a UN humanitarian official. “Their homes, schools, and playgrounds are gone. Many have lost family members. What remains is fear, grief, and uncertainty.”

The data paints a grim picture:

93% of children display aggression.

90% show violence towards younger peers.

86% experience deep sadness and isolation.

79% suffer from disturbed sleep.

69% have stopped studying altogether.

While a fragile ceasefire currently holds, life in Gaza remains perilous. Israeli military strikes continue near the so-called “Yellow Line,” an area that covers over half of the Gaza Strip. Access to the sea remains prohibited, and fishermen are still being detained by Israeli forces.

“Beyond the ‘Yellow Line’, detonations of residential buildings continue daily,” OCHA reported. “Even humanitarian teams face barriers reaching critical infrastructure, farmland, and aid storage facilities.”

Displacement has become the defining feature of childhood in Gaza. Out of 2.1 million people, a million now live in 862 makeshift displacement sites, many in crumbling schools or overcrowded camps. The southern city of Khan Younis alone shelters over half of them. Others have sought refuge in Deir al Balah, Gaza City, and Rafah.

Conditions in these temporary shelters are dire. Overcrowding, unsafe water, and poor sanitation have put thousands of girls and children with disabilities at heightened risk of disease and violence. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that around 75,000 people are crammed into 100 shelters and the surrounding areas.

Despite these overwhelming challenges, humanitarian organizations are striving to bring moments of hope. In the past four weeks, UN partners have reached 132,000 children with child protection and psychological support services. Activities range from individual therapy and stress management sessions to group play and art-based healing workshops—small efforts to help children reclaim fragments of their stolen childhood.

More than 45,000 caregivers have also received guidance on how to support traumatized children, while 1,600 children with disabilities are receiving specialized care. The aim is to reach over 100,000 children every month, part of a broader initiative to help nearly one million young Gazans rebuild a sense of safety and hope.

In a rare piece of positive news, the UN confirmed that the Zikim crossing—linking northern Gaza with Israel—will reopen for humanitarian cargo after an eight-week closure. UN teams have been repairing damaged roads and clearing potential explosives to allow safe passage for aid trucks.

But for now, the children of Gaza continue to live between the echoes of war and the silence of loss. Their eyes tell stories of resilience—and of a longing for normalcy that feels painfully out of reach.

As one aid worker put it, “They no longer ask when the war will end. They just ask when they can sleep without fear.”