The Ground Beneath: Rebuilding Stability for Displaced Families

When the rockets fell, they left more than rubble. They took away the most basic human need — a sense of home.

Across Israel, tens of thousands of families were uprooted after October 7. From the Gaza Envelope to the north, they packed hurriedly, sometimes with only minutes to spare. They fled not only houses but histories: gardens, schools, friendships, the sound of their own streets.

Months later, many are still living in temporary spaces — hotels, caravans, borrowed apartments. Some have returned to damaged homes; others have none to return to.

Mental Health First Aid Israel calls their journey the second displacement — the long emotional aftermath that begins when the physical evacuation ends.