After the bombs, Gazan kids still have nightmares

STORY: Whenever a door slams, 10-year-old Bissan al-Mansi mistakes it for a bomb.

Her house in central Gaza was among several that were damaged or destroyed by Israeli strikes during the latest round of fighting. They were given half an hour to evacuate.

One of five children, Bissan used to love going to school but she hasn't been back since.

She's now seeing a child psychologist.

"Since the war, I've been afraid to go to the shop or school, to walk with my friends, play by myself, stand at the door or play upstairs. I'm more frightened and even when people are with me I fear the war on us will happen again. It starts at night."

There are no bomb shelters in Gaza, where more than 50% of Palestinians are poor.

Bissan's aunt says the children live in fear.

"This isn't a normal fear. They keep wetting the bed. Before the strikes there was nothing wrong with them, they were 100% normal children. Now they make unusual movements. We can't bear to see these movements, they make me cry."

Bissan's psychologist Muhammed Khatib says many children are experiencing panic, especially when they hear sounds they connect with shelling.

He and his colleagues say healing is almost impossible for Gazan children because the source of fear - recurring conflict - never goes away.

The latest bout lasted five days, and children were among the 33 Palestinians killed.

About half of Gaza's young people - or 500,000 children - need psychological help according to UNICEF officials.