Children's Drawings from Gaza
Art Therapy Workshops with Ahmad Muhanna.
Children at war. Trees, houses, the sun, balloons, fish, and the sea. It is these innocent elements in the 28 children's drawings from Gaza that are so moving. The pictures were sent to us via WhatsApp by the artist Ahmed Muhanna from Gaza. He organizes children's painting workshops, creating moments of normality and small signs of joy and hope for the future. We support this.
Ahmed Muhanna stands with children in Gaza as they proudly hold up the drawings they created in his workshops.
"Over the past 21 months of war, more than 17,000 children have reportedly been killed and 33,000 injured in Gaza.
An average of 28 children have been killed each day – the equivalent of an entire classroom. Consider that for a moment. A whole classroom of children killed, every day for nearly two years.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell - July 2025
Gaza is going through a genocide, live, before our eyes. In the West, images of atrocities stream across our screens: once-thriving neighbourhoods reduced to rubble; children starving and civilians killed while queuing for food at so-called “humanitarian aid” distribution sites. Palestinians have been saying it and experiencing it, and human rights organizations, UN experts, and people everywhere have come to the same conclusions. Mainstream media narratives have to a large extent served to conceal the West’s active role in the catastrophe in Gaza, while also aiding in the dehumanising of an entire population of Palestinians. We hear on the news that thousands of children have been killed, yet we rarely speak of them beyond these devastating numbers.
Their individual lives, stories, and humanity are too often lost. Each of these children had a name. A family to love, and to love them. A place to call home. A favourite toy. Hopes and dreams for their future — and had lived through devastating conditions that no child should ever have to endure. And this is the terrifying reality surviving children in Gaza are living through now.
Nearly half of Gaza’s population are children. Alongside other civilians, they are being indiscriminately killed, starved, and subjected to unimaginable suffering and trauma.
We are deeply humbled by visual artist Ahmed Muhanna’s work in the Gaza Strip to provide spaces for children to simply be children by offering therapeutic art workshops and creating a moment of normalcy for them. In Ahmed’s words: “Here in Gaza, I work with children scarred by war, genocide, loss, fear, and trauma, helping them find a voice and a way to heal through creative expression.” We are profoundly moved by the beautiful art produced by the children attending Ahmed’s classes amid such devastating circumstances.
Children painting in Ahmed’s workshop.
The powerful urge children feel to express themselves creatively - and to share their creations with others - is something universal. A drawing offered by a child is more than just a picture; it’s a glimpse into how they see the world and how they make sense of it. We treasure these offerings - pinning them to fridges, taping them to cupboard doors, displaying them proudly.
This piece invites you to do the same: to receive the artwork by these children from Gaza with the same care and attention, as if these pictures were on the familiar walls of a kitchen or classroom - spaces where children’s voices are seen, felt, and valued. By witnessing the work of these young artists, we open ourselves to a more human understanding of Gaza - one that moves beyond headlines and numbers, and towards solidarity and deep care of individual lives. Statistics matter - they highlight the scale of the human catastrophe. But so do the stories - the stories of these children, each with their own voice, captured here in colour and imagination. By witnessing their art, we affirm the fundamental right to life with dignity for everyone.
This is a quiet and powerful way to show that we see them, that we care, that their lives matter and that we support them.
Artist: Lyanah, 12 years old, Gaza
Description: My beautiful city, Beit Hanoun
Artist: Mariam, 10 years old, Gaza
Description
We were displaced from our homes because of the Zionist occupation.
We moved from one place to another.
We missed our homes very much.
I also miss my friends.
Artist: Layyanah, 12 years old, Gaza
Artist: Retaj Aed, 12 years old, Gaza
Artist: Salma, 11 years old, Gaza
Artist: Eileen, 7 years old, Gaza
Artist: Rital, 9 years old, Gaza
Artist: Mona, 8 years old, Gaza
Description
Tent.
House.
I miss my house, my toys and my room and my bed and clothes and every corner of my house.
I miss my friends.
In Ahmed’s words: “Here in Gaza, I work with children scarred by war, genocide, loss, fear, and trauma, helping them find a voice and a way to heal through creative expression. But to continue this essential work, I urgently need your support. Your donations will help me provide the art materials and supplies necessary to bring hope, relief, and moments of joy to children who have suffered far too much.”
Many of us feel powerless, unsure how to show our support for Gaza. This fundraiser raises awareness and direct support for artist Ahmed Muhanna, who works with children in Gaza. All funds go directly to the workshops, helping to create a space of routine and expression.