The Psychological Operation Conducted by Israel in the Gaza Strip
In 2014, the Israeli army conducted a military operation known as “Operation Protective Edge” in the Gaza Strip, which occurred nine years previous to Israel’s ongoing military actions in the region. During the 51-day military operation, a total of 2,251 Palestinian individuals lost their lives, including 551 children. Shortly following the series of killings in 2014, an individual known to me as a psychoanalysis associate residing in Barcelona forwarded a collection of images to me. These visual materials were obtained by this acquaintance from a professional contact situated in Gaza. The photographs depicted paintings created by youngsters residing in the town of Khuzaa, located in the southern Gaza governorate of Khan Yunis, in proximity to the Israeli border.
Upon initial observation, a considerable number of the illustrations exhibit characteristics commonly associated with conventional children’s artwork, showcasing vibrant depictions of dwellings, cheerful stick figures, verdant grass, fluffy clouds, and a radiant sun, among other elements. Notwithstanding the stylistic resemblances, the illustrations portray a conspicuously separate terrain, wherein missiles, tanks, bulldozers, and planes have evidently assumed prominent roles inside the individual realms of the youthful painters.In a particular illustration, a projectile in descent from the atmosphere is seen in the imminent act of colliding with a residential structure painted in orange, including a roof colored in red, and adorned with a Palestinian flag fluttering above. In an alternate scenario, projectiles launched from an aerial vehicle are directed towards a collective of stick figures displaying facial expressions denoting happiness. The artwork presented provides insight into the perspective of Palestinian children, shedding light on the actions carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip and reinforcing the argument on the detrimental psychological impact of these operations.
The individuals responsible for creating the aforementioned pictures have now transitioned into adolescence, assuming they have endured the recent and ongoing series of violent events in Gaza, which has resulted in the loss of nearly 10,000 lives, including over 4,800 children, as a consequence of Israeli actions. Within the all of the land, it can be argued that there is an absence of a secure location, as Israel continues to indiscriminately target residences, educational institutions, and medical facilities. Israeli military officials have acknowledged abandoning the notion of achieving “surgical” precision. The evident transformation of daily life in Gaza into a distressing experience implies that, even in the absence of ongoing Israeli bombardments, psychological distress is expected to persist, potentially surpassing its previous intensity. In a research published five years ago, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) documented the presence of significant “mental health issues and psychological deterioration” among the youth population in Gaza. In the year 2020, it was observed that a significant proportion of youngsters residing in the besieged enclave had symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In May 2021, a notable incident of profound irony occurred when twelve youngsters, out of the total count of over 60 casualties resulting from Israeli air attacks on Gaza within a week, were found to be engaged in an NRC psychosocial program designed to aid victims of war-related psychological distress. Furthermore, it is evident that alongside the physical acts of violence, there exists a deliberate endeavor to impose psychological damage onto the population in Gaza.
The English terminology “psychological operations” may not fully encapsulate the nature of Israel’s activities. As per the definition provided by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term “psyops” is a plural noun that refers to military operations primarily intended to influence the psychological condition of the adversary by nonviolent methods, such as the dissemination of leaflets. Israel has demonstrated a longstanding proficiency in the deployment of leaflet dissemination from aircraft onto civilian populations in Palestine and Lebanon, frequently accompanied with directives to evacuate certain regions. In contemporary times, these psychological operations (psyops) can also be conveniently executed through cellular phone technology. Nevertheless, considering Israel’s recurrent practice of conducting airstrikes on those who are according to evacuation directives, it is arguable that these actions cannot be classified as “noncombative methods.” In the context of the blockaded Gaza Strip, where there are presently no available evacuation routes, such psychological warfare assumes an even more psychologically distressing nature. Undoubtedly, residing within a densely populated strip of territory does not provide significant psychological comfort, especially during periods when Israel is not engaged in a full-scale conflict. In 2005, during the period when Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza did not occur as planned, Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, the founder of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, criticized Israel’s actions. He accused Israel of attempting to instill a state of “learned helplessness” among the Palestinian population in Gaza, with the ultimate goal of subjecting the entire population to fear and immobilization.
In the documentary titled “On Gaza’s Mind” released in 2009, El-Sarraj attributed the societal breakdown in the Gaza Strip and the emergence of long-lasting generational issues to the continuous Israeli occupation. El-Sarraj specifically highlighted the detrimental impact of accumulated traumatic experiences over an extended period of time. The mental health crisis further exacerbated in subsequent years, characterized by a notable rise in the prevalence of depression and suicide. The profound psychological ramifications resulting from the protracted Israeli embargo on Gaza, which has persisted for nearly 17 years, are of utmost significance. Additionally, the detrimental impact of this closure on unemployment and poverty rates cannot be underestimated, since these variables exacerbate overall levels of anxiety and depression within the population. The prevailing insufficiency of sufficient provisions such as food, water, and electricity in Gaza serves to intensify sentiments of powerlessness and hinder the attainment of mental stability. In parallel, Israel is concurrently causing widespread psychological distress among the population of Gaza while also impeding the entry of essential medications, particularly mental pharmaceuticals, into the region. Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated by the occurrence of Israeli airstrikes targeting hospitals and other vital healthcare facilities within the Gaza Strip.
However, the inquiry remains as to the prospective outcomes for Gaza, ultimately, given Israel’s persistent engagement in the act of causing harm and psychological distress to its young population. In the year 2018, during the Great March of Return, the Israeli military caused the deaths of numerous Palestinians in Gaza. The Washington Post provided coverage on the dire mental health situation within the enclave, specifically focusing on the circumstances surrounding the 14-year-old Mohammad Ayyoub.
According to the Post, Ayyoub had experienced a total of three conflicts at a young age, resulting in significant psychological distress. According to the article, the relocation of the United States embassy to Jerusalem in that particular year evoked a sense of distress in him. Subsequently, he expressed his willingness to make a profound sacrifice for the city to his mother. On April 20, he clandestinely departed to participate in a demonstration situated on the Gaza-Israel border. Tragically, he was fatally shot in the head by an Israeli sniper during the course of the demonstration. Given the evident escalation of US involvement in the physical and psychological destruction in Gaza, which can be characterized as genocidal due to the Israeli military’s systematic eradication of entire Palestinian families, it would not be unexpected if an increased number of Palestinian youth choose to engage in acts of martyrdom. According to Dr. El-Sarraj’s statement to PBS, individuals can be influenced by their surroundings, thus being considered as a “product of the environment”. In the case of a young Palestinian residing in Gaza, subjecting them to an environment characterized by complete “hopelessness and despair” due to frequent exposure to acts of bombing, killing, murder, bloodshed, and humiliation, may potentially result in the development of a mindset where death is perceived as the commencement of life, leading to the emergence of a martyr.
Undoubtedly, the Gaza Strip not only functions as a physical space for Israel to experiment with its armaments, but it also serves as a fertile ground for the manifestation of disturbing psychological manipulations. In the midst of Israel’s ongoing and unparalleled wave of violence, which can only be characterized as deeply disturbing, one cannot help but ponder the profound impact it will have on the young minds of Gaza. What artistic expressions will emerge from their tender souls in the wake of such harrowing experiences? Shall dwellings and the radiant sun persist, or shall crimson streams and debris prevail?
