Wartime conditions disrupt emerging adults’ normative developmental trajectory, yet young adult Arabs in Israel (i.e. an ethnic minority) receive minimal recognition as a vulnerable group despite compounded social exclusion and post-October 7th trauma. Given the limited understanding of their future anxieties, the aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and concerns of young Palestinian Arabs confronting social exclusion in the shadow of the 7 October 2023 events and the ensuing war. A naturalistic qualitative approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 young adult Arabs aged 18–31 (M = 25), predominantly women (30F : 4M). Thematic analysis yielded an overarching theme of “Ongoing Chaos” expressed through: 1. emotional-physical insecurity (hypervigilance, proximal stress); 2. moral-political conflict (segregated job markets, distal stress); 3. fear of the future (motivational loss). The findings can be interpreted in light of Beck’s hopelessness dimensions and Meyer’s minority stress model; these frameworks are used here as interpretive lenses rather than as direct analytic categories. Social workers should acknowledge ethnic surveillance and chronic rejection expectations while advocating for policy reforms that expand Arab community employment opportunities and reduce institutional barriers that force identity compromises.