Members of a circus performing group have been looking to bring a temporary smile to the faces of displaced children in the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip, helping them to briefly escape the horrors of war as they visit shelters to offer some light relief. Palestinian children are enduring harsh conditions following months of bombing and destruction that have haunted them as they have been forced to move from one displacement camp to another since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last October. However, in amongst this devastation, performers from the Gaza Free Circus Center are offering some colorful entertainment and acrobatic performances as they tour shelter centers in central and southern Gaza with the mission of healing their hearts.
According to the troupe's founder Mohammed Khader, easing children's psychological suffering is one of the most important goals. "Through the events and activities we offer in light of the situation in the Gaza Strip, we aim to alleviate children and treat post-traumatic stress disorder, and to get them out of the current atmosphere, and give them some joy and put a smile on their faces, even if it is small, in light of the pain, bombing and destruction that we are currently living through. We try to introduce a more joyous atmosphere to them through these activities," he said.
Dozens of Palestinian children gather to watch, even if only for a short time, to get away from the tragic reality they have been living in since the beginning of the.