Hamas must also answer for Palestinian children’s mental health crisis
#Gaza mental health #Hamas responsibility #Israeli-Palestinian conflict #Palestinian children suffering #Hind Rajab case #LA Times letters #Gaza crisis #Child casualties
📌 Key Takeaways
- Letters to LA Times debate responsibility for Gaza children's mental health crisis
- Hamas accused of contributing to suffering through military spending and tunnel construction
- Film depicts tragic case of 5-year-old Hind Rajab killed by Israeli forces
- Ongoing conflict continues despite ceasefire agreements, with significant civilian casualties
📖 Full Retelling
Hank Schlinger and George Mouro published letters in the Los Angeles Times on February 19, 2026, addressing the mental health crisis among Palestinian children in Gaza, questioning the extent to which Hamas bears responsibility for their suffering amid the ongoing conflict with Israel that began after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Schlinger's letter directly challenged Hamas's role in the children's trauma, pointing to the organization's 1988 charter which called for eliminating Israel and rejecting negotiated settlements. He accused Hamas of taxing Gaza's population and using those funds to build tunnels under civilian neighborhoods where leaders hide from Israeli retaliation, rather than investing in civilian welfare. Mouro shared his experience at the Palm Springs International Film Festival where he watched 'The Voice of Hind Rajab,' a film about a 5-year-old girl who was trapped in a car with her dead family members after being killed by Israeli forces. Mouro described how an ambulance finally got permission to rescue the girl but was struck by IDF forces, killing two medics as well. Both letters reflect the complex and tragic nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with each perspective highlighting different aspects of the suffering experienced by civilians, particularly children, in the region. Mouro questioned whether the situation constitutes genocide despite Israel's denial, highlighting the near destruction of Gaza's infrastructure including hospitals, schools, and universities, while noting that the conflict continues despite ceasefire agreements, with significant civilian casualties accumulating.
🏷️ Themes
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Children's welfare, Mental health crisis
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Original Source
Feb. 19, 2026 12 PM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto" data-subscriber-content> To the editor : Guest contributor Nisreen Qawas’ op-ed was heart-wrenching ( “Gaza remains a crisis of children’s mental health,” Feb. 15). There’s no question that the children of Gaza have suffered, both physically and emotionally, from the war between Israel and Hamas. But we must ask ourselves to what extent that suffering rests at the feet of Hamas. The 1988 Hamas Charter called for the elimination of the state of Israel and killing Jews before the “Day of Judgment.” It rejects negotiated political settlements, regardless of any cost to Palestinian civilians. In addition to money and weapons supplied by Iran , Hamas taxes the population of Gaza and has used much of that money for weapons and to build hundreds of miles of tunnels, often under civilian neighborhoods . There, Hamas leaders and combatants, not the children of Gaza, hide from Israel’s retaliation for the unprovoked Oct. 7, 2023, slaughter of civilians in Israel, including many women and children. Advertisement Hamas has also used schools and hospitals as staging areas for their rockets and other weapons. So, who is to blame when Israel targets those areas, even though it warns civilians? War is hell and tragic. Make no mistake about it, what is going on in Gaza is war; it is not genocide, although there are genocides occurring in other parts of the world that no one in the West protests. Hamas could end the suffering in Gaza at any time. Hank Schlinger, Glendale .. To the editor : During this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival, I attended a screening of “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” Advertisement The film, which has...
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