Seventy-three days have passed since Hamas' attack and the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and the sights and stories continue to haunt everyone in Israel. The scope of the tragedy and the number of victims has led to a significant increase in distress and mental health disorders, which the victims and their families are grappling with, but it does not just affect them. A new study from the University of Haifa indicates a large number of Israelis have been impacted mentally by the war even if they weren't harmed by it directly.
According to the study's findings, about 60% of Israelis who aren't in the first two circles of those directly affected by the war have developed severe acute stress disorder (ASD), which poses a risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These are individuals who aren't residents of communities close to the Gaza border or other towns physically affected by the war, or who have had their property damaged. They also don't have family members who were harmed, killed or abducted since the war began.
Dr. Svetlana Baziliansky, the study's lead author, explains:
"The high percentage of those suffering from ASD as a result of the current war is higher than any other events and wars that took place in Israel's history."
Comment: Wars are never absolute. Victimization is not limited to the brutal eradication of Palestinians. Collateral damage is on the rise.