Gaza youth artist finds outlet for her trauma and grief from Israel’s war

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Yara Youssef Abu Kweik, 16, is processing her emotions by coating scenes of suffering from her regular life.

Published On 5 Nov 2025

For the children of Gaza, front-line victims and witnesses to unspeakable violence, Israel’s much than two-year genocidal war has near heavy wounds, some carnal and psychological, ones that volition stay agelong aft it comes to an end.

Tens of thousands person mislaid parents and siblings portion galore others person suffered life-changing injuries. Some are besides experiencing trauma from witnessing the deaths of different children. They person been displaced galore times, mislaid their homes and had their educations stamped out.

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With fewer resources disposable to assistance them process their pain, young radical are uncovering originative outlets for their grief.

Yara Youssef Abu Kweik, aged 16, is pouring her emotions into her art.

16-year-old Yara Youssef Abu Kweik speaks to Al Jazeera astir however she uses coating to header with her trauma and grief.

“I utilized to gully ordinary, spontaneous, colourful things,” Youssef Abu Kweik told Al Jazeera.

“As the warfare came on, I started to consciousness that I needed to amusement the satellite however we [Palestinians successful Gaza] are living.”

Youssef Abu Kweik told Al Jazeera that she uses her drawings and paintings to amusement what she has been witnessing and experiencing successful her regular beingness implicit the past 2 years.

“I drew a representation of children struggling to drawback handfuls of water. The famine we person endured for years, beingness successful tents, each these sufferings person had a toll connected my soul.”

A coating by 16-year-old Yara Youssef Abu Kweik.

While drafting allows Youssef Abu Kweik an outlet to “vent” her feelings, the scenes she draws besides origin her to “get flashbacks”.

Psychologists warned that much than 80 percent of Gaza’s children present show symptoms of terrible trauma, including headaches, stomachaches, bony pain, hairsbreadth loss, vitiligo and weakened immunity.

“The 2nd clip I was displaced, I started coating the things that person changed each of us. As it was the 2nd clip I was forced retired of my home, I started to enactment it into drawing. The symptom and suffering, particularly the radical who person nary structure to spell to, not adjacent tents. I drew a representation of children alongside their parents sleeping connected the road, exposed to fire, shells and, supra all, to the elements,” she said.

Even earlier Israel’s warfare connected Gaza began, children successful Gaza suffered from important intelligence wellness issues.

According to a 2022 report by Save the Children, 4 retired of 5 children successful Gaza were surviving with depression, grief and fearfulness portion more than half struggled with suicidal thoughts.

UNICEF estimated that much than 64,000 children person been killed oregon injured successful Gaza since Israel’s warfare began aft the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks connected confederate Israel. Israel’s warfare connected Gaza has killed astatine slightest 68,858 radical and wounded 170,664.

A United States-brokered ceasefire betwixt Israel and the Palestinian radical Hamas that came into effect connected October 10 has provided small respite to children and adults alike successful Gaza owed to repeated Israeli strikes and terrible restrictions connected the travel of food, aesculapian supplies and different aid.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, much than 200 radical person been killed and much than 500 injured successful Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect.

Despite her suffering and that of those astir her, Youssef Abu Kweik is determined to amended her coating skills and “send my connection retired to the world”.

That connection is wide and succinct: “I correspond each the Palestinian children successful the Gaza Strip, and connected their behalf, I say: Enough is enough. We privation to live.”