Rescued from the Rubble

Menna Abu Safi · age 16

I am displaced from Al-Shati to the city of Khan Yunis. During the displacement, they were bombing us with fire belts, and people kept going back to rescue others from under the rubble.

From Tent to Tent

Menna Abu Safi · age 16

I wanted to capture the life of displacement, moving from tent to tent, as I was displaced from Gaza to Nuseirat, then Al-Zawayda, then Rafah, and finally to the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis — Al-Qarara.

A Flower for Hope

Menna Abu Safi · age 16

I wanted to show the displacement, with people carrying their bags and belongings on their heads, walking on foot from place to place. I wanted to draw a flower to bring hope and joy, because I was sad that everything around was full of sorrow.

The Steadfast Mother

Menna Abu Safi · age 16

I depicted the steadfast Palestinian woman, standing strong for her children. I also drew boards of patience — the sabr cactus — as a symbol of resilience and endurance.

The Tents of Rafah

Menna Abu Safi · age 16

I illustrated the massacre in Rafah on the day the tents were bombed and many children were martyred. I wanted to show the suffering, because I felt that the children were the main targets of this massacre.

Boards of Patience

Dagmash · age 13

I am displaced from the north to the city of Khan Yunis. When I was displaced, the soldiers were taking children away from their mothers and detaining them. I wanted to draw this scene and depict the children on the boards of patience — the sabr cactus.

A Child of the Tent

Aya Abu Safi · age 13

I drew a scene that I witnessed and that saddened me deeply — a Palestinian woman after her small child was burned in the tent by the soldiers.

Colors of the Flag

Aya Abu Safi · age 13

I colored her face with the colors of the Palestinian flag, to symbolize the resilience of the Palestinian people.

Torn Apart

Aya Abu Safi · age 13

I drew people during their displacement, showing the suffering we experienced when men and women were separated. They would detain whoever they wanted and take them away, leaving people to abandon their homes and possessions, leaving with only their Palestinian IDs, walking on foot toward the central regions.

Pots Instead of Books

Aya Abu Safi · age 13

We used to wake up in the morning and go to school, but now we go searching for food kitchens and aid. We used to put books in our bags, but now we put cooking pots in them. We used to wait for the school bus in the morning; now we wait for the bus to the food kitchen.

The Child Martyr

Tulay Saleh · age 13

During the displacement, I was very scared and living in a state of terror. Our house was bombed, and as a child from Gaza, I lost all my rights. That is why I wanted to draw the Palestinian child martyr amidst the rubble and destruction.

Nowhere to Go

Rital Abu Shakyan · age 15

When we left our home, the soldiers were bombing houses with fire belts, and we left without knowing where we were going. My family and I ended up sitting in the street.

The Rush for Food

Siraj Al-Razee · age 12

Our house was bombed, and I was displaced from Gaza to the south — to Nuseirat, then Rafah, then Khan Yunis. I drew the chaos and crowding of people trying to get food, and the desperate rush to obtain it.

The Phoenix

Sama Habib · age 15

As I was fleeing, I saw our neighbor's house destroyed, and I was injured in my head when the roof collapsed on me. I wanted to draw the Palestinian woman as if she were a phoenix, bringing life from what is lifeless, because she endured immense humiliation in the war and has taken on the role of both woman and man.

A Mother's Hand

Sham Salem · age 11

Bearing the Shroud

Hilal Abu Aisha · age 22

In my painting I depicted resilience, challenge, and patience — showing that the Palestinian woman has come to bear death and shrouds in her hands, along with deep sorrow and pain.

From Under the Rubble

Shahd Habib · age 16

My brother was injured during our displacement, and my father remains missing in the north. I saw a video of a massacre in Rafah, where they were pulling the heads of children from under the rubble. It saddened me deeply, and I wanted to draw this scene to express their suffering.

Carrying On

Lama Khalid · age 11