Gazan Children's Daily Life

The Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip did far from end with the signing of the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994. The Israeli army is still very present in the Gaza Strip - especially in areas surrounding the settlements - and violence, humiliations, closures, bombardment, shelling, demolition of houses and leveling of agricultural land has an enormous impact on Palestinian children's daily life. Of the total number of Palestinians killed during the al-Aqsa intifada approximately 20% were children under age 18. Of this number 20% were killed in circumstances of complete quiet and 40% were killed in protests or clashes. The following pictures show Gazan Children's daily life since the outbreak of the intifada in 2000.



Palestinian boys at Tuffah checkpoint dividing Khan Younis from the Israeli settlement bloc Gush Katif and the Palestinian agricultural area Mawasi, which is under Israeli military control and now declared for "closed military zone". More than 50% of the children living in area next to the checkpoint show symptoms of acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.



Children help find their family's belongings and assets in the rubble after Israeli bulldozers have destroyed their homes.



To see your house demolished is according to psychiatrists one of the most traumatic incidents that can possible happen to a child. It often has serious mental consequences for children



This child had just experienced shelling of his house in Rafah refugee camp in January 2002. Several rooms were severely damaged.



Girls find their papers and schoolbooks in the rubble after their house was demolished.A school is severely damaged after Israeli bombardment.