The Psychological Impact of the October 7 Hamas Terror Attack on Jewish and Arab Emerging Adults in Israel

The Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent ‘Iron Swords’ war represent a profound national tragedy in Israeli history. Emerging Adults (EAs) aged 18–30 constitute a vulnerable group due to an inherent lack of social and economic resources. This study explores the secondary trauma stress (STS) experienced by both Israeli Jewish and Arab EAs, examining their levels of indirect exposure, fear, resilience, and coping strategies. The study sample included 562 Israeli EAs, approximately half of whom identified as Jewish and most others as Muslim. The findings reveal high levels of indirect exposure, with more than half of the participants knowing someone who was harmed during the attack. Fear emerged as a strong predictor of STS, surpassing the effects of exposure. Compared with Arab participants, Jewish participants reported greater exposure and fear but also higher resilience and coping strategy use. Despite these differences, STS levels were similar across groups, highlighting Arab EAs' greater vulnerability due to pre-existing disparities in resources and sociopolitical tensions. Coping strategies failed to mitigate STS, suggesting a “panic-coping cycle”. These findings emphasise the need for resource-based and culturally sensitive interventions to address the distinct vulnerabilities of Arab EAs and support recovery in crisis contexts.