Gaza Artists Stage Outdoor War Exhibit in Bureij

Young Palestinian artists in Gaza staged an impromptu outdoor exhibit on Tuesday in Bureij, central Gaza, displaying dozens of paintings that capture their experiences of the war and a fragile ceasefire.

The works, arranged in a row exposed to the elements and passersby, featured images such as a dove pierced by a bullet hole and a person's silhouette amid widespread destruction from the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has killed more than 70,000 people. On a sunny day, children played nearby while visitors photographed the pieces and paused in reflection.

Ghanem AlDin, who organized the event, said the artists created the paintings during a four-month workshop in his studio. "They painted their feelings, their ambitions, their hopes, their visions," he said.

Among the participants was 21-year-old Obay AlQarshali, who fled his home in Gaza City late in 2023 after the war erupted following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. In his rush, he left behind more than 30 paintings, now lost to bombing and rubble. His displayed work depicted broken glass, cars loaded with mattresses and belongings, and building debris, scenes familiar to hundreds of thousands of displaced...