Feelings of safety among Gaza border residents are declining, and only one in four people trust government bodies, a new report from the organization aimed at rehabilitating the region in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre found.

The report, conducted by the Tekuma Directorate in conjunction with the Central Bureau of Statistics and issued Sunday, shows that just 23% of those surveyed by  feel very or somewhat safe living in the Gaza border area, down from 35% in 2024.

Trust in the government, Knesset, police, and justice system, measured for the first time in 2025, stood at just 40%. Trust in state services was also patchy.

The health service, the only one with survey material from before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, was trusted by 80% of respondents before the attack and by 74% in 2025.

However, faith in the education system dropped to 51% in 2025, down from 64% in 2024, while belief in welfare services dipped from 68% to 57% over the same period.

Trust in the local authorities remained stable, dropping slightly from 78% to 76%.

Stress symptoms are decreasing, according to the survey. Reported by just 13% of respondents between 2019 and 2023, the figure rose to 45% in 2024, but dropped to 39% in 2025.

Satisfaction with life and optimism about the future, which 79% of respondents reported before October 7, 2023, dropped to 59% in 2024, then rose to 62% in 2025, possibly reflecting the area’s deep sense of community.

The survey forms part of a detailed........

© The Times of Israel