In Gaza, where death looms at every corner, war is reshaping not only the everyday lives of Palestinian people but is also reconfiguring their genetic code.
There are grave concerns that the physical and psychological impacts of the ongoing genocide and the release of invisible toxins from Israeli bombs into Gaza’s air are causing irreversible changes to Palestinians’ cells on a molecular level, causing an increased rate of diseases such as cancer, as well as abnormalities to their unborn children.
Recent scientific research suggests that Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Gaza could negatively impact generations of Palestinians to come.
This raises an important question: can the effects of war be inherited?
From war to genes: What is epigenetic inheritance?
Traditional genetics tells us that traits are passed down from one generation to the next through the transmission of genetic information, specifically DNA. However, recent studies have revealed another layer of genetic control, known as epigenetics, which can turn genes “on” or “off.”
These changes can occur as a result of environmental factors such as severe psychological stress, malnutrition, exposure to toxins and pollutants, and chronic and severe deprivation, all things Palestinians in Gaza have been exposed to continuously for almost two years.
Palestinian paediatrician and child psychology expert Dr Ahmed Issa has been looking into how extremely traumatic and violent experiences, such as war, sexual violence, and forced displacement, can impact human genes.
He found that the trauma that Palestinians have been exposed to through recurrent wars not only has social and psychological consequences but also leaves biological imprints on their genes, which could affect the physical and psychological health of their children and grandchildren.
“Gaza’s children not only inherit social and economic hardship, but they carry the legacy of war in their DNA,” says Dr Ahmed.
“This highlights the need for long-term social and therapeutic treatment in Gaza in addition to emergency relief efforts.”
Lessons from the Holocaust and Vietnam War
The most prominent studies supporting the theory that the effects of war can be inherited were those conducted on the children and grandchildren of World War II Holocaust survivors in the late 20th century and early 21st century.
Subsequent generations were found to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Genetic analysis revealed that epigenetic changes in their genes were responsible for the markedly higher cortisol levels. The studies found that future generations were also at greater risk of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
They may not have lived through the Holocaust, but the research suggested they had inherited some of its effects.
If, over 80 years later, the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors carry its mark in their DNA to this day, what about Palestinians in Gaza, who have lived through many wars?
The Vietnam War is another key example of how the effects of war carry through future generations. Agent Orange, the toxic herbicide the American troops used to destroy forests in Vietnam in the 1960s, contaminated soil and water sources for decades, causing genetic mutations and birth defects in subsequent generations of the Vietnamese people, such as spina bifida, cleft palates and major heart defects.
Gaza: An enforced laboratory for epigenetic change
Exposure to toxins released by bombs, contaminated food and water, malnutrition, chronic sleep deprivation and psychological trauma make up a deadly cocktail that is permeating the bodies of Palestinians in Gaza at a molecular level — and all sections of society are affected.
Pregnancy is a biologically sensitive stage. Studies show that chronic stress during pregnancy can change the “methyl” footprint on an unborn child’s genes, which can negatively affect brain development and immunity and increase the unborn child’s susceptibility to mental health illnesses in the future.
Babies in Gaza are being born with severe congenital deformities from the toxic fumes of Israeli airstrikes [Getty]
Um Ahmed, a 32-year-old mother in Gaza, lost her home to an airstrike when she was seven months pregnant.
She says she noticed after surviving the airstrike that her unborn baby would kick her more violently from inside her womb. Since he was born a few months ago, she says it is evident that the trauma of war has been passed to her baby.
“He finds it difficult to sleep and cries all the time,” she told The New Arab.
In Gaza, where women are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions, overcrowded areas or even while bombs rain down around them, these changes are more acute.
Palestinian epigeneticist Dr Samer Al Khaldi told The New Arab, “Inhaling these substances not only harms the mother, but also crosses the placenta to the fetus, which may lead to genetic mutations, an increased risk of birth defects and early miscarriage.”
You may have seen the viral images on social media of Hikmah Noufal, a baby in Gaza born with severe facial abnormalities, which doctors say is a result of her mother being exposed to toxic gases released by missiles, in addition to contaminated food and water. Noufal is in urgent need of emergency surgery and long-term treatment.
For men, this exposure can result in changes in their sperm, not only affecting their fertility but also carrying the risk of affecting future unborn children.
Exposure to toxins and contaminated food and water puts Palestinian children at risk of developing cancers later in life.
The daily experience of airstrikes, being witness to people being killed and losing loved ones can also cause neurological changes in the brain.
Gazan paediatrician Dr Ahmed Hijazi says traumatic experiences during childhood not only affect a person’s mental health, but also their immune function, leading to chronic physical illnesses as a result of epigenetic influences that control gene expression.
He says, “In an environment like Gaza, children are repeatedly exposed to war, trauma, the loss of family and their homes. This not only affects their immediate psychological health, but also leaves a biological impact on their bodies and the future of their genetics.”
In this way, the genocide in Gaza has become an enforced scientific experiment where people are testing their theories about the relationship between war and genetics.
Increased rates of cancer
Scientific studies indicate that gases and chemicals produced by rocket explosions and debris, such as heavy metals (lead and mercury) and carcinogens (dioxins and benzopyrene), remain in the air and soil for long periods.
Chronic exposure to these toxins increases cancer rates, particularly blood cancers and lymphomas, diseases that have been observed to increase in communities living under repeated bombing. Additionally, perchlorates found in rocket fuel can contaminate water, potentially leading to thyroid disease.
“We expect that future generations will pay the price for this pollution,” oncologist Dr Haitham Awadh tells The New Arab.
“Repeated exposure to carcinogens increases the likelihood of genetic mutations accumulating, which over time develop into cancerous cells, not only in those who directly experienced the war, but even in their children.”
The risk is not just from the airstrikes. Exposure to asbestos in the rubble of older buildings destroyed by airstrikes is putting Gazans at higher risk of developing aggressive cancers such as lung cancer or mesothelioma, throat cancer and ovarian cancer.
Often these cancers develop decades down the line, meaning that Gazan children exposed to asbestos today could be well into adulthood by the time they develop these cancers.
Does the world bear a responsibility for epigenetic changes in Gaza?
Scientific findings surrounding the impact of war and genocide on genetics present the international community with a new responsibility: war is not only a political or human rights issue, but also a biological issue.
Not only do Palestinians in Gaza need a permanent ceasefire, but they will need long-term biological, medical and psychological rehabilitation to restore the alterations to their cells.
The good news is that not all epigenetic changes are permanent. Research has shown that a combination of proper nutrition, exercise, yoga, psychological support, and a supportive environment can help mitigate some of these changes.
Through the genocide in Gaza, the international community will come to realise that war not only kills those who are bombed today, but impacts the lives of those who are born tomorrow.
Haya Ahmed is a doctor and freelance writer from Gaza