Israel: more citizens seek psychological support after escalation in north

The number of Israelis who have sought psychological support has increased significantly following the security escalation in the north of the country with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, Israeli media have reported. The past few days have witnessed some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire between the Israeli occupation army and Hezbollah.

According to Israel Hayom on Monday, institutions and organisations that provide psychological support have launched new helplines to cope with the significant increase in the number of callers. A centre for psychological assistance for new Jewish immigrants offers consultations in five languages.

The Natal Centre, which provides psychological assistance to trauma victims, said that following the latest security events, requests for psychological assistance have increased by 225 per cent. It explained that a majority of the callers reported feeling “anxious and tense”.

The Hebrew newspaper quoted Natal helpline director Gili Gamish as saying that since the beginning of the war, the centre’s helplines have received tens of thousands of calls. Most callers, she said, describe a real feeling of uncertainty and fear for their future, security and safety.

Following days of intense exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, Israel launched air strikes on Monday against villages and towns in southern Lebanon, killing at least 492 people and displacing tens of thousands.

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