Doctors stunned as 'strange' illnesses spread among Gaza's children amid Israel's ongoing genocide

In Gaza, intense and repeated panic attacks, combined with constant high levels of stress, anxiety, and the trauma of losing loved ones — including primary caregivers — are severely damaging children’s psychological and physical health, leading to serious physiological changes and the spread of unexplained diseases.

After the home of her neighbour in Khan Younis was bombed in January 2024, 10-year-old Lana Khalil Sharif suffered a severe panic attack that left her "terrified and trembling," according to her father, Khalil al-Sharif. Two days later, Lana noticed a small patch of white skin had appeared on her face.

Her mother took her to a dermatologist, who prescribed medication. However, Lana’s mother told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister edition, "I noticed the white spots were growing. We returned to the doctor after the patches spread, and he confirmed she had developed vitiligo due to severe trauma."

The family was informed that laser therapy was the recommended treatment, but this was unavailable inside Gaza.

The white patches continued to spread across Lana’s face and body, and her hair started to turn grey. Her parents sought help from a counsellor, who used therapy methods such as drawing and counselling sessions to try to lift her spirits, her mother explained.

Despite these efforts, Lana continued to suffer panic attacks, triggered by repeated Israeli attacks. Each time she heard news of a relative or neighbour being killed, she became terrified.

Her mother recalled, "She would say, ‘I don’t want to die. I’m still young.’ When she heard missiles, she’d cover her ears and face."

During these episodes, her parents would hug her and try to make her feel safe. But what upset Lana most was the social isolation — other children no longer played with her.

"She doesn’t want to fetch water from the distribution trucks for fear of bullying, and she refuses to go to school or even leave the house," her mother added.

'Strange' diseases

Six-year-old Malak Ahmed, who was born with autism spectrum disorder, also experienced a dramatic deterioration in her health after her father was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in October 2023.

Malak’s mother, Mona Shehada, explained that her father had been her daughter’s best friend and only playmate. After his death, Malak, who had difficulty speaking, entered a state of intense grief and would scream inconsolably whenever she saw his photograph displayed in the home.

Shortly afterwards, blisters began appearing on Malak’s skin. Doctors feared she might have developed cancer, forcing the family to urgently appeal for permission for her to travel abroad for treatment.

"My daughter’s condition worsened after her father’s death," Mona said. "Abscesses formed in her liver, and her spleen had to be removed. Doctors estimate there is an 80 percent chance she has developed leukaemia."

Malak is now on medication for three separate illnesses, all of which appeared following her father’s death. With no biomedical laboratories operating in Gaza to conduct diagnostic tests, weekly health checks have shown a decline in her bodily functions. Her white blood cell count reached approximately 60,000, compared with the normal range of 5,000.

Mona attributes her daughter’s complications to her ongoing state of fear: "When an airstrike happens, she starts screaming. Since her father died, her life has changed completely. Before, she only had autism, but now she has multiple diseases. Her weight should be over 30kg; she weighs less than 15kg. We hope she can travel for treatment soon before her condition worsens further."

Deep scars 

Among the factors exacerbating the situation in the Gaza Strip is Israel's destruction of 38 government hospitals, as well as the closure of 81 health centres and 164 medical clinics. Moreover, since 2 March 2025, Israel has blocked food, aid, and medical supplies, putting patients’ lives at risk and worsening the ongoing famine in the Strip.

On 6 December 2024, four-year-old Joud Saleh Abu Saleh survived an airstrike that killed both his parents. His trauma continues to haunt him daily.

His aunt, Maha Abu Sobhe, said: "Joud and his parents came to our house after their home was bombed. Minutes before the explosion, he came to sleep with me, as he often has since birth; he sees me as a second mum."

She continued: "My two sisters and Joud’s father were killed in the bombing, which caused a huge explosion. I survived with the rest of my family and Joud. But he saw ambulance crews pulling his parents’ bodies from the rubble, wrapping them in blankets, and then attending the funeral and burial. These events have left deep scars on his heart and grief that he expresses through screaming and angry behaviour."

Since losing his parents, Joud has become extremely attached to his aunt.

"He’s scared of anyone approaching him or going to the bathroom unless I am with him, and he is frightened by door knocks. The sound of bombing reminds him of his parents. For a whole month, he woke screaming, and I would hold and comfort him," Maha said. 

Maha added that Joud’s condition deteriorated when he was briefly taken in by his father’s family, who later returned him to her care.

“We began visiting his parents’ graves,” she said. “He liked to dress in smart clothes for the visits, believing it would make them happy. We took him to a psychiatrist, who began therapy sessions involving play, drawing, colouring, and games to help him cope.”

Awaiting care 

Another distressing case is that of Rahaf Ayyad, 10, a once vibrant girl now emaciated and unable to walk due to acute malnutrition. She pleads with her parents for meat, eggs or chicken, but they are unable to provide.

Rahaf’s condition has sparked public outrage in Gaza, with doctors unable to identify the exact cause due to a lack of functioning laboratories.

According to Defence for Children International (DCI), Rahaf was scheduled to be evacuated to the UAE with her mother for urgent medical treatment in May. She underwent tests at the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis on 13 May as preparations were underway to cross via the Rafah crossing.

However, an Israeli airstrike struck the hospital compound, delaying their departure. Rahaf remains in Gaza, awaiting the chance to leave and receive critical treatment.

Unable to dissociate from trauma 

Speaking to The New Arab, Dr Amal Abu Ibada, director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, explained: "Fear is a natural reaction to traumatic experiences and has both physical and psychological symptoms."

She said individuals may experience increased heart rate or sweating, and if fear becomes recurrent, it can develop into a chronic anxiety disorder. "This involves hormonal changes, such as increased adrenaline, which cause physiological alterations."

"The war has affected everyone in Gaza," she added, "with rising cases of PTSD and sleep disorders across all ages, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, who are unable to dissociate from the trauma."

According to a recent study by the Gaza Centre for Mental Health, which examined the impact of the war on depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among displaced people, 70 percent of participants showed symptoms of all three conditions, while only 8 percent exhibited symptoms of just one.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition with additional reporting. To read the original article, click here.

Translated by Rose Chacko   

This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source's original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors

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