Decades of occupation, unrest and blockade have taken a heavy toll on the children of Palestine and in particular the children of the Gaza Strip, where regular outbreaks of aggression and the deteriorating living conditions have left a generation in desperate need of psychosocial support, and unable to enjoy or experience childhood. Childhood normally means innocence, fun, freedom and love, but in Gaza children speak and understand politics almost from day one. Thirteen-year-old Ezzeddin Samsoum from Rafah was identified as a “child hero” because of the bravery he showed in rescuing an injured man during the Great March of Return protests last year. Samsoum ran without hesitation and ripped off his own shirt to stop the man bleeding. “I don’t … Continue reading There’s no childhood in occupied Palestine