Children of Gaza Faced with Trauma of Potential Genocide's Legacy

In the last year, the ongoing genocide in Gaza has resulted in catastrophic consequences for the Palestinians living there. The Israeli military's actions have claimed over 42,000 lives, injured over 103,000, and displaced nearly 90% of the population. This conflict has also led to a "full-blown famine" and the destruction of nearly 60% of Gaza's buildings [1][2][3].

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) considers the situation in Gaza as the largest humanitarian crisis it has faced since 1948. The survivors are suffering from various health issues such as starvation, chronic traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and more [4].

Research suggests that the health consequences of this genocide could last the rest of the survivors' lives, with potential multigenerational effects. The combined effects of extreme violence, malnutrition, displacement, and healthcare destruction create conditions for multigenerational health impairments and epigenetic modifications [1][2][3][4].

Massive civilian casualties and trauma, severe malnutrition and starvation, healthcare collapse and displacement, psychological trauma, and environmental and infrastructural destruction are all contributing factors to these lasting impacts.

For instance, high death rates, widespread injuries, and the destruction of medical facilities exacerbate immediate and chronic health conditions. Malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood can induce epigenetic changes affecting growth, immune function, and disease susceptibility in offspring [2][3][4].

The psychological trauma of continuous exposure to violence, loss of family, and displacement can result in epigenetic modifications that alter stress responses and mental health in descendants. Destruction of homes, water and sanitation systems, and food sources leads to exposure to toxic substances and infectious agents, which alongside chronic stress, may cause epigenetic changes with long-term health consequences [1][2][3][4].

While direct studies on Palestinians under these specific conditions may be limited due to ongoing conflict, scientific knowledge from trauma, famine, and displacement research in other populations supports these conclusions.

Epigenetic inheritance of trauma remains a hypothesis in humans, and the evidence is considered weak due to ethical and logistical challenges in conducting controlled experiments. However, a paper published by Hasan Khatib's lab in 2022 provides the first solid evidence of epigenetic inheritance in mammals, using sheep as a study subject. The epigenetic changes observed in the sheep study were passed on to subsequent generations, even though they were not directly exposed to the diet change themselves [5].

Experts fear that the trauma of the genocide could be passed on to future generations of unborn Palestinians, affecting their psyche, health, and potentially even their epigenetics.

In an effort to improve humanitarian aid in Gaza, Roseboom is working with a group of medical experts to provide input during the consultation phase of the newly adopted U.N. Declaration on Future Generations. Roseboom is focused on minimizing intergenerational trauma and ensuring future generations have the best possible environments to develop.

Touma, a representative of UNRWA, emphasizes the importance of reaching a ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and beyond, including the release of hostages, resumption of humanitarian aid, and ending the conflict at its root. He suggests that donating to aid agencies is helpful but that ending the crisis at its root is the most critical action to prevent intergenerational scars [6].

The escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has resulted in over 1,400 deaths and displacement of a fifth of the nation's population [7]. This underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing genocide in Gaza to prevent further suffering and multigenerational harm.

References: [1] The Lancet [2] The British Medical Journal [3] The New England Journal of Medicine [4] The Journal of the American Medical Association [5] Nature [6] UNRWA [7] The Guardian