Children in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, draw destroyed historic buildings in art sessions

Children sheltering in Rafah, in southern Gaza, have created detailed pictures of historical buildings destroyed in the war between Israel and Gaza. For many of them, the art sessions are the first chance since the conflict began to pick up a pencil or crayon and gather with other children, because all schools in Gaza are closed.

The war began on 7 October last year, when Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, invaded neighbouring Israel. The attack killed some 1,200 people and took 252 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Israel has bombarded Gaza and sent its army in to hunt down Hamas leaders and to rescue the hostages.

The sessions are funded by the UK charity Christian Aid and run by its Palestinian partner, the Culture and Free Thought Association. Weekly creative workshops give young people the opportunity to set the conflict aside for a time and simply be children again.

Eleven-year-old Amal displayed her drawing of Qasr Al-Basha, a 13th-century building in Gaza City also known as Pasha’s Palace. It previously housed a museum of antiquity and Al-Zahraa Secondary School for Girls before being destroyed during this war. Amal’s class was held in a refugee shelter in Al-Mawasi, northern Rafah, where many families have had to move several times and are living in makeshift camps. Caring for displaced neighbours in need of shelter reflects the call to welcome strangers (Matthew 25:35).

Thirteen-year-old Ibtisama held up her picture of the Omari Mosque, the oldest mosque in Gaza, based in Daraj, Gaza City, and also known as the Great Mosque of Gaza. The mosque now lies in ruins. The UN cultural agency UNESCO has expressed “deep concern” about the impact of the ongoing conflict on cultural heritage.

William Bell, Christian Aid’s Head of Middle East Policy and Advocacy, said the children’s artwork “consolidates (strengthens) the cultural identity of Gaza and keeps it – and their hopes – alive.” Julie Mehigan, Christian Aid’s Programme Manager for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, said: “Children in Gaza are undergoing horrors no child should ever experience.” The charity is urging the next UK government to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to review its arms export licences.

Buthaina Al-Faqawi, a community mobiliser for the Culture and Free Thought Association, described the change she sees in children when they join the sessions. “The first look is despair and misery. The second look is hope. The third look is love of life and childhood. Please… we deserve life, we deserve better,” she said.

Separately, Israel launched new overnight airstrikes on Gaza that killed more than 400 people, according to Palestinian health officials. The United Nations says the Gaza war is affecting the West Bank more than ever before. US President Donald Trump has also posted an AI-generated video of his vision for Gaza on his social media platform, Truth Social.

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