From March 21 to April 3, 1983, 943 Palestinian teenage girls and a small number of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank experienced an outbreak of fainting, dizziness, and nausea. The incident sparked accusations of chemical warfare, but investigations by the CDC and other authorities found no evidence of toxins, concluding that the vast majority of cases were psychosomatic. The epidemic was ultimately terminated by the closing of West Bank schools.

The West Bank fainting epidemic has been cited in literary and political works that explore the intersection of health, conflict, and propaganda. The event has inspired writers to examine the psychology of fear in occupied territories and the role of rumor in shaping political narratives. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of misattributing illness in times of conflict, themes that have been explored in both poetry and prose.