“Daddy, who invented the Israelis?”

A few moments after heavy shelling by our house, my 7-year-old daughter, whose body was trembling with fear, put her trembling hand on my cheek and asked: “Daddy, who invented the Israelis? Why do they do this to us? Tell them it’s enough!”

A simple, innocent question that I could not answer with all my mental strength… I chose to hold her instead and bring her and her siblings to my chest. I told them: “Don’t fret, we are all together fighting our fear.”

And so I looked at my eldest daughter, who became a teenager just a few months ago, and is fully aware of what is happening. She looked at me silently as if asking: “But you are terrified, father. I feel your heartbeats as if they beat outside your chest.” I kissed her forehead and said: “It’s ok. The bravest are those who are scared for the most precious in their lives. Do you see how brave we are!?”

‏Roo7 – Anonymous Mental Health Professional (for fear of being targeted)

31 October 2023

To read all stories in the series: http://upaconnect.org/category/gaza2023

لقراءة السلسلة كاملة، تفقد الرابط أعلاه

حياة من قلب الموت: سلسلة عن تجارب اخصائيين نفسيين تحت القصف – القصة التاسعة

“بابا هوا مين اخترع الاسرائيلية؟”

بعد عدة لحظات من صوت قصف عنيف بالقرب من منزلنا، وضعت ابنتي ذات السبع سنوات يدها المرتجفة على خدي، وجسمها يرتعد من الخوف، وسألت: “بابا هوا مين اخترع الاسرائيلية؟ ليش بعملو هيك فينا؟ احكيلهم خلص بكفي!”

سؤال بسيط، بريء لم استطع بكل قواي العقلية ان اجد له جواب… فآثرت ان احضنها، واضع رأسها في منتصف صدري هي واخوتها ،وقلت لهم: “لا تخافو نحن سويا مع بعضنا نحارب خوفنا.”

فنظرت الى ابنتي الكبرى التي اصبحت منذ عدة اشهر في سن المراهقة وتدرك ما يدور حولها. نظرت الي دون ان تتحدث وفي عينيها سؤال: “لكن انت خائف يا ابي. انا اشعر بدقات قلبك كأنها تريد ان تخترق صدرك.” فقبلت راسها وقلت لها: “لا بأس يا حبيبتي. أكثر الناس شجاعة من يخاف على أغلى ما يملك. أرأيتم كم اننا شجعان!”

روح – اخصائي نفسي في غزة، فلسطين
(غير مسمى بسبب الخوف من الاستهداف)

٣١ تشرين الاول ٢٠٢٣

About Mental Health Professionals Under Attack

Dr. Dinah Ayna, a clinical psychologist and mental health consultant and a member of UPA’s International Advisory Board, has been supporting our Healing through Feeling team in Gaza since 2018 and continues to support those she can reach throughout this war. Two weeks into the recent aggression against Gaza, Dr. Ayna agreed with different mental health professionals inside and outside UPA on the importance of sharing their stories with the world. The professionals wrote their experiences in Arabic, and Dr. Ayna then edited, translated, and sent the stories back for final approval from the original authors before sharing. Authors also sent pictures that were edited to protect their identities and published, with approval, along with the stories. Nicknames were given to those who did not want to be identified.