This article explores what it means to grow up in Gaza, how conflict shapes childhood, and why the world must stand with the youngest generation of Palestinians.

A Childhood Shaped by War

Children in Gaza are often born into displacement. Many live in crowded refugee camps where open playgrounds are scarce and safe spaces almost nonexistent. Instead of seeing swings and parks, children grow up surrounded by rubble, barbed wire, and checkpoints.

Airstrikes leave deep psychological scars. Even very young children learn to recognize the sounds of drones and bombs. Nightmares, fear of loud noises, and trauma are common experiences. Childhood in Gaza is not free of worry — it is a constant balancing act between innocence and survival.

Education Against the Odds

Despite the destruction, schools remain a symbol of hope. Teachers continue to show up, even when classrooms are overcrowded and damaged. In some cases, students attend classes in temporary shelters or tents after school buildings are hit.

Parents see education as resistance. Every lesson attended is a refusal to let war steal the future. Students often express their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, and artists — ambitions that highlight their courage in dreaming beyond the blockade.

Play as a Form of Healing

Even amid conflict, children find ways to play. Streets turn into football fields, and rooftops become playgrounds. Art, music, and storytelling programs run by NGOs give children safe ways to express themselves. Through drawing, many children depict both their fears and their hopes — rockets, houses, and also flowers, doves, and sunshine.

Play is not just recreation; it is a vital tool of healing. It helps children cope with trauma and reminds the world that even under siege, the human spirit seeks joy.

The Emotional Toll on Families

Parents in Gaza carry the heavy burden of trying to shield their children from trauma. Mothers describe holding their kids tight during bombings, telling them stories to distract them from the explosions. Fathers work tirelessly to provide, even when jobs are scarce and salaries unpaid.

Despite their efforts, parents know they cannot protect their children from the realities of war — and that knowledge is one of the heaviest burdens to bear.

Why the World Must Listen

The children of Gaza are not statistics; they are living, breathing voices of a generation that deserves better. Their laughter in the midst of rubble is not a sign of ignorance, but of resilience. Their drawings are not just art, but messages to the world: “We are here, we exist, we dream.”

Final Thoughts

Gaza’s children deserve a future free from fear. They deserve classrooms filled with books, not shelters filled with trauma. They deserve playgrounds, not rubble.

Share this story so the world can see Gaza’s children for who they truly are — not just victims of conflict, but symbols of hope, courage, and humanity.

The post Gaza’s Children: Growing Up in Conflict appeared first on Shar Gaza.

The Immediate Aftermath

When the airstrikes stop, silence falls — a heavy silence broken only by the sound of people searching for survivors. Families return to find their homes in ruins. Streets are covered with dust and debris. Yet, within hours, a quiet determination begins to rise.

Neighbors help each other clear rubble. Volunteers from across Gaza rush to deliver water, food, and medicine. In the middle of destruction, the first step of rebuilding begins — with people, not machines.

Reconstruction Under Blockade

Rebuilding in Gaza is not easy. The blockade severely restricts construction materials like cement, steel, and glass. Every truckload entering the Strip must go through complex approval processes, delaying progress for weeks or even months.

Still, communities adapt. They recycle old bricks, repurpose damaged materials, and use creativity to design new shelters. Some homes are rebuilt by hand, brick by brick, without heavy machinery — a labor of love born from necessity.

Homes, Schools, and Mosques Rising Again

It’s common to see schools reopening just days after being bombed. Teachers hold classes in tents or under trees. Mosques reopen with temporary roofs. Families pitch makeshift tents beside the rubble of their homes, refusing to leave their land.

Each act of rebuilding carries a message: “We are still here.”

International Aid and Local Ingenuity

International donors often promise funds for reconstruction, but political restrictions slow the process. Instead, local engineers and youth groups lead small, community-based projects — repairing roofs, repainting walls, and rebuilding classrooms.

One engineer described it best:

“We don’t rebuild for comfort. We rebuild to prove we’re alive.”

That spirit keeps Gaza standing, even when the world looks away.

The Psychological Rebuilding

Reconstruction in Gaza is not only physical. It’s emotional.
Children draw new houses over the ruins of their old ones. Artists paint murals on collapsed walls. Psychologists and community workers help families process trauma — turning pain into resilience.

Rebuilding becomes a collective therapy, a reminder that destruction can’t erase belonging.

Final Thoughts

Every time Gaza rises from the ashes, it tells a story the world must hear:
that resilience is stronger than rubble,
that hope is louder than bombs,
and that a people who rebuild again and again can never truly be broken.

The next time you see Gaza’s destruction on your screen, remember: the story doesn’t end there — it’s only the beginning of another rebuilding.

The post How Gaza Rebuilds After Every Attack appeared first on Shar Gaza.

Youth in a Blockaded Land

Over 60% of Gaza’s population is under 25.
Most have never left the Strip, never seen an airport, and never known a day without restrictions. Despite this, Gaza’s youth are among the most connected and creative in the region. Through phones, laptops, and shared Wi-Fi signals, they learn, build, and express their voices to the world.

They are coders without offices, designers without studios, and students who study by candlelight — but they never stop dreaming.

Education as a Form of Resistance

For many young Gazans, education is their weapon. Even when schools are destroyed, they continue online or in community centers. They take free international courses, build startups from bedrooms, and compete in global hackathons through unstable internet connections.

Their message is simple: “We exist. We create. We won’t be silenced.”

Art, Music, and Expression

From rap songs echoing through narrow streets to murals painted over ruins, Gaza’s youth use art to reclaim their identity.
Music, poetry, and photography have become powerful tools to tell their story to the world — not of victims, but of visionaries.

Every piece of art is a statement: “We are more than the war around us.”

Dreams Beyond Borders

Some dream of studying abroad. Others want to start tech companies or become journalists.
Many know their chances are limited — but still they plan, they learn, and they hope.
In every corner of Gaza, there’s a young person dreaming of a better tomorrow, proving that imagination cannot be bombed.

Final Thoughts

The youth of Gaza are not waiting for the world to save them — they are shaping their own future.
They are the heartbeat of resilience, turning pain into purpose, and walls into windows of possibility.

Listen to their voices, share their art, and remember: no blockade can stop a dream.

The post Voices of Gaza’s Youth: Dreams Beyond Borders appeared first on Shar Gaza.

Love in the Time of Siege

Planning a wedding in Gaza is unlike anywhere else.
Electricity might go out mid-ceremony, streets could be blocked, and venues may have been rebuilt multiple times.
Yet, despite all this, people find ways to celebrate — whether in a decorated tent, a small courtyard, or even a hospital room.

Couples often say, “If we wait for peace to marry, we might never live.”
So they choose joy now, in the middle of chaos.

Simple Weddings, Deep Meaning

Gone are the lavish ceremonies and expensive halls.
Most weddings today are modest, but they carry deep emotional weight.
Families come together to cook traditional dishes, neighbors share what they have, and musicians play drums powered by small generators.

For a few hours, laughter replaces fear — and everyone remembers what normal life feels like.

Tradition Meets Resilience

Palestinian culture values weddings as sacred social events, symbols of continuity and unity.
Even under siege, these traditions persist: henna nights, folk songs, and dancing with flags of Palestine.
It’s a way of saying: Our culture lives, even if our city struggles.

The Economic Struggle Behind Every Celebration

The blockade has made even simple weddings costly.
Gold prices, rent, and food inflation push many couples to postpone or simplify their plans.
Still, families often pool their savings together — because celebrating love is worth every sacrifice.

In Gaza, weddings are not just personal; they’re communal — everyone contributes to keep the joy alive.

Why These Weddings Matter

Every wedding in Gaza is a statement to the world:
We are still here.
The dancing, the songs, and the bright dresses in the middle of rubble are proof that Gaza’s spirit cannot be destroyed.

Love in Gaza is more than emotion — it’s resistance wrapped in laughter and hope.

The post Gaza Weddings: Celebrating Life Despite Hardship appeared first on Shar Gaza.

For Gaza’s poets, language is resistance, and verses are survival.

The Role of Poetry in Gaza’s Identity

Palestinian culture has always valued the power of words.
In Gaza, poetry carries history, memory, and emotion — all in one breath.
Each poem is both personal and political, transforming pain into meaning.
It’s how Gazans record their daily lives, keeping their humanity alive amid destruction.

From refugee camps to universities, poetry readings bring people together, offering a rare space for healing.

Famous and Emerging Voices

Over the years, Gaza has produced poets who have become symbols of resilience.
Writers like Mosab Abu Toha and Refaat Alareer (may he rest in peace) gave the world a glimpse of Gaza’s soul — not through news reports, but through rhythm and heart.

At the same time, young poets are emerging, writing in Arabic and English, sharing their work online to reach readers around the world.
They use poetry as a bridge — connecting Gaza’s reality with global empathy.

Writing Under Siege

To write in Gaza is to resist silence.
Power outages, bombings, and loss can destroy paper and homes — but not inspiration.
Many poets write by candlelight, typing verses on their phones during long nights without electricity.
Every line written becomes an act of defiance, saying, “We are still here. We still feel. We still dream.”

Poetry as Healing

For many Gazans, poetry is therapy.
It allows them to express trauma in a way that transcends politics.
Through rhythm and metaphor, they process grief, and in doing so, transform pain into collective strength.

Each poem shared is a reminder: while buildings fall, voices rise.

The Language of Hope

In a world quick to define Gaza by war, its poets remind us that words can rebuild what bombs destroy.
They give the city a heartbeat that never stops, one verse at a time.

Poetry from Gaza is not just art — it’s survival, memory, and a call for the world to listen.

The post Gaza’s Poets: Voices of Hope and Pain appeared first on Shar Gaza.

Whether through oud melodies or hip-hop verses, Gaza’s musicians use rhythm to say what words alone cannot.

The Sound of Resilience

Every tune played in Gaza is born from struggle.
Musicians practice in dimly lit rooms, record in makeshift studios, and perform despite limited resources.
But even under siege, creativity finds a way.
Songs become tools of resistance — reminding the world that Gaza is more than rubble and grief.

Music connects the generations, keeping alive traditions while adapting to new voices.

Traditional Meets Modern

From ancient oud and tabla rhythms to modern rap and electronic beats, Gaza’s music blends the old and the new.
Traditional Palestinian songs — once sung in villages during weddings and harvests — now echo in urban streets and online platforms.

Artists like Mohammed Assaf brought Gaza’s voice to the Arab world, while underground rappers tell the raw stories of life under occupation.
Each style, traditional or modern, reflects the same message: “We exist.”

Music as a Form of Healing

Amid trauma and loss, music offers a path to emotional recovery.
Many Gazans turn to music therapy to help children process fear and grief.
Workshops and cultural centers provide safe spaces for youth to play instruments, sing, and express their emotions freely.

Even a single melody can rebuild the spirit when everything else feels broken.

Connecting Gaza to the World

Through social media and streaming platforms, Gaza’s music has crossed borders.
From refugee camps to global festivals, Palestinian artists share their songs of resilience with listeners everywhere.
Their music is proof that art can travel — even when people cannot.

It carries Gaza’s pain, pride, and beauty to the world stage.

A Universal Language

In Gaza, music transcends politics.
It speaks to every heart that has ever known love, loss, or longing.
Every note played is both a prayer and a protest — a melody that says: “We are still here, and our hearts still sing.”

The post Music of Palestine: Healing the Soul in Hard Times appeared first on Shar Gaza.

Art is not only a hobby for Gaza’s children — it’s therapy, expression, and quiet resistance.

Art as Emotional Healing

After every attack, schools and community centers open their doors to art programs that help children heal.
Psychologists and local artists encourage kids to draw freely — no rules, no limits.
Many paint houses, flowers, and doves. Others draw the sea, symbolizing freedom they cannot touch.

Through crayons and watercolors, they rebuild the world that war tries to take away.

The Role of Teachers and NGOs

Numerous organizations across Gaza run workshops that teach painting, sculpture, and crafts.
Teachers use art to help students process trauma and rediscover joy.
Some schools even organize “healing exhibitions,” where children proudly display their creations to parents and community members.

These small exhibitions are not only beautiful — they’re acts of resilience.

Messages Hidden in the Colors

Children in Gaza don’t just paint — they speak through color.
A red sky may represent the memory of airstrikes.
A green field might express hope for peace and return.
Every canvas is a diary of emotions, telling the world: “We are still here.”

The Sea: A Symbol of Freedom

The Mediterranean Sea appears again and again in children’s drawings.
For them, it represents escape, calm, and dreams.
Many have never been allowed to travel beyond Gaza’s borders, but through art, they sail freely across the waves of imagination.

Art gives them the wings that politics has denied.

International Recognition

Some of these young artists have had their work displayed in exhibitions abroad — from London to Tokyo.
Their messages transcend borders and languages, touching hearts worldwide.
Each drawing tells a story of Gaza’s strength through the eyes of innocence.

Hope on Every Page

In a world where destruction dominates the news, the art of Gaza’s children reminds us of humanity’s most powerful truth: creation always defeats destruction.
Their art proves that even the smallest hands can hold the biggest dreams.

The post How Gaza’s Children Use Art to Express Themselves appeared first on Shar Gaza.

Every crayon stroke becomes a message to the world: We are still here.

The Power of a Child’s Imagination

Even under siege, children in Gaza continue to dream.
They draw homes with gardens, skies without drones, and seas filled with boats — not warships. Their imagination transforms fear into freedom.
Teachers often encourage students to use drawing as a way to express what they cannot say.

In art classes or at home, children draw to heal, to remember, and to hope.

Art as a Language of Healing

For many young Gazans, drawing is therapy.
Organizations and volunteers provide crayons, paper, and paint to help kids process trauma.
Through bright colors and simple lines, children find emotional release.
Some draw what they have lost — their homes, pets, or loved ones — while others paint the peace they dream of.

Each drawing becomes a small act of resistance — a way to reclaim their story.

What the Drawings Reveal

A recurring theme in children’s artwork is the sea.
It represents freedom — something they can see but rarely touch.
Other common images include doves, suns, and families together under one roof.
Even in the darkest situations, their art radiates hope and the deep desire for normal life.

From Local Walls to Global Exhibitions

Many of these drawings are displayed on school walls, community centers, and even in exhibitions abroad.
When people around the world see them, they see Gaza through the eyes of innocence — not through politics, but through humanity.

These small drawings carry a message that transcends borders: every child deserves peace, not fear.

Final Thoughts

The drawings of Gaza’s children are not just pictures — they are windows into hearts that refuse to give up.
Each line, color, and smile drawn on paper is a declaration that life continues, even in the most fragile conditions.

Their art tells the story of Gaza the world too often forgets: not only a place of war, but a place of dreams.

The post 🖍️ Gaza Through the Eyes of Children’s Drawings appeared first on Shar Gaza.

The Power of Before-and-After Photography

Before-and-after photos of Gaza show more than physical change — they reveal emotional and human resilience.
A building once in ruins now stands with fresh paint.
A street once covered in rubble now echoes with the sounds of children playing again.

These images document how Gaza continuously turns tragedy into rebirth, year after year.

From Rubble to Renewal

Reconstruction in Gaza is often done with limited materials and international restrictions.
Despite this, families rebuild their homes, sometimes brick by brick, with their own hands.
Local photographers capture these efforts to remind the world that Gaza’s people don’t wait for miracles — they create them.

Each repaired wall, each reopened shop, is proof of persistence stronger than destruction.

The Human Stories Behind the Buildings

Behind every rebuilt home is a family that refuses to give up.
Parents who gather broken pieces of furniture and turn them into something new.
Children who draw on the walls of their new rooms, celebrating another chance at normal life.

Photographers often say the hardest moments to capture are not the ruins — but the hope that follows.

The Streets That Keep Coming Back

Entire neighborhoods in Gaza have been destroyed multiple times, yet they rise again.
Streets like Al-Wehda and Shuja’iyya have seen both despair and rebirth.
Through before-and-after photos, viewers witness how Gaza’s story is not one of endings, but of constant renewal.

Final Thoughts

Every rebuilt wall is a silent message to the world: We are still here.
Through the lens, we see not just destruction — but the courage to rebuild, to start again, and to keep believing in life.

Before-and-after pictures of Gaza don’t just show damage; they reveal one of humanity’s strongest forms of resilience.

The post 🏗️ Before and After: Rebuilding Gaza in Pictures appeared first on Shar Gaza.