A Palestinian boy stands in front of an artwork during an art exhibition in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
GAZA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinian artists in Gaza on Thursday took part in an art exhibition to reflect the suffering of the local children during the Gaza-Israeli tensions.
Dubbed "The Occupation Kills Children," the art event was organized by 26 nongovernment organizations, showing graffiti of the children's losses of homes and even lives under Israeli attacks.
Graffiti on rubbles of houses destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, theatrical plays, some of the dead children's personal belongings, and remains of Israeli rockets fired at Gaza were among the most visited segments.
"We launched this festival to simulate the suffering of Palestinian children because of the endless Israeli violations against them in Gaza," Fedaa Younus, one of the event organizers, told Xinhua.
A Palestinian girl stands in front of an artwork during an art exhibition in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
"We decided to invest in the art as a message to people around the world, which can be understood in all languages," the young woman explained.
"The children of Gaza are subjected to killing, destruction, displacement, and fear, and no one cares about them," Hussain Abu Sadiq, a Gaza-based artist who drew graffiti on walls of destroyed houses portraying miserable children in Gaza, told Xinhua.
"We focus on our children's suffering to ask for the world's support and pressure Israel into stopping all its crimes against them," said the artist.
Mohammed Siam, another Gaza-based artist, also took part in the exhibition with his paintings about children who were trying to escape from Israeli airstrikes on their residential houses.
"Our children wish to live in their country freely and not to feel afraid of death or bombing, and they want to enjoy a normal life like the rest of the world's children," said Siam.
Palestinian children are seen in front of an artwork during an art exhibition in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
Now in Gaza of more than 2.3 million, residents have gradually managed to resume their normal daily routines after an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups ended their five-day deadly exchange of fire, which started on May 9 and left 33 Palestinians and one Israeli killed.
On Tuesday, Palestine officially called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to add Israel to the list of parties liable for grave violations against children.
During the international conference held in Norway's capital Oslo, Riyad Mansour, Palestine's envoy to the United Nations, called on the international community to support the moral, political, and legal measures against Israel as a necessary and important step toward protecting children during conflicts.
Palestinian children are seen in front of an artwork during an art exhibition in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)■
