By Hosni Nadim
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Two Palestinian sisters cling to their passion for drawing as a way to confront the harsh reality brought by Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Living in a small tent in southern Gaza after being displaced from their home in Gaza City, Aya and Nesma Dalloul, aged 18 and 17, used their art to break the monotony of life in refugee camps and draw a smile on the faces of fellow displaced civilians by painting on the tents.
Their drawings reflect the ongoing suffering of displaced Gazans amid the Israeli war, which killed nearly 40,500 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
One of their artworks depicts a child sitting on the rubble of her destroyed home, waiting for a dove of peace.
They also use drawing as a means to alleviate the psychological stress caused by the Israeli war, which has left severe psychological impacts on Gaza’s population, especially children, according to human rights organizations and the UN.
"We live the reality of war with all its challenges and difficulties,” Aya told Anadolu.
“We try to make the most of every moment to draw on the walls of the camps and the sheets that cover our tents, to decorate this bitter reality,” she said.
- Bitter reality
On a mural in the camp where she lives now, Aya painted a scene of a burned Israeli tank surrounded by buildings destroyed by airstrikes and artillery shelling in the area.
This artwork, she said, represents "the reality Palestinians are living and the brutal way in which the Israeli army forced them to flee their homes."
The young Palestinian said she also painted a mural of "an Israeli tank and a child holding his small toy to reflect his clinging to childhood and life despite the surrounding destruction.”
Despite the lack of tools and the difficulty of obtaining art supplies, the two sisters continue to draw, bolstered by the moral support given by the camp residents.
"The positive response from people to my drawings gives me the energy to continue beautifying the place and bringing hope to the hearts of the children,” Aya said.
"We suffer from a severe lack of drawing supplies and tools, and even when available, the quality is much lower than what we used before,” she said.
“Prices have also skyrocketed" due to Israel's closure of crossings and the blockade on goods, Aya added.
Despite the difficulties, the young girl is determined “to continue practicing her talent despite the limited resources and challenges, to convey the voice of truth and the oppressed to the world and keep the Palestinian cause alive."
- Injustice
Nesma finds her drawings a way to express her feelings and cope with the brutality of the Israeli war.
"My sister and I encourage each other to draw to forget the fear inside us and express what is in our hearts,” she told Anadolu.
“Drawing is the only way that allows me to release negative energy and convey our suffering to the world."
Regarding the drawing that depicts a child sitting on the rubble of her home while waiting for a dove of peace, Nasma said: "It reflects the suffering of our people after the forced displacement and the destruction of our homes.”
“We hope that the war will end soon and that we can return to our previous lives."
Nesma called on "the entire world to support the Palestinian cause, especially in Gaza, amid the oppression, injustice, and the Israeli war.”
“We also appeal for an end to the war, relief for the territory, and the opening of the crossings."
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
An ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala