Book:
Witness | شاهد

Witness | شاهد - Genocide Through Children’s Eyes is a living proof and unfiltered insight into the reality of Palestinian children in Gaza.

At the heart of the book are drawings made by children. They invite us to look at Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinians through the eyes of the children, and get a sense of how they perceive life around them. The artworks are accompanied by children’s personal stories and analyses of art therapists, which combined show how immensely this ongoing violence affects children’s mental health.

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What the children draw is a reality that should not exist. It is made up of tanks, missiles and destroyed homes - not of butterflies, flowers and happy faces.

Witnessing what they see provokes questions about what all this trauma and pain mean for a child’s development, their future. What will their tomorrow look like if the sounds of rockets are more real than the sounds of the school bell?

Exposure to severe violence during childhood can change a person forever. It affects how children perceive life and the world around them, shattering their basic trust in humanity. The brain goes into a state of high alert and becomes unable to process experiences, leaving fragmented, chaotic impressions.

The life of a child born in Gaza takes shape under the shadow of trauma. Every memory is stained by blood, rubble, and the sounds of warplanes, leaving silent wounds that are difficult to articulate.

The artworks collected in this book reflect the subjective experiences of children living in Gaza—not only today but within a broader historical context. They show the reality of children growing up under brutal colonial occupation. For decades, Palestinian children have been drawing rockets and destroyed houses, as long as this reality has existed.

In this context, art can be a lifeline as it offers an opportunity to express the unspeakable. Witness | شاهد captures testimonies that came out of the PHRC’s art therapy sessions with the children in Gaza which aim to help them step out of survival mode regain a sense of agency, even if it’s only for a short while every day.

WHO ARE WE?

About the Palestine Humanitarian Response Center (PHRC)

The PHRC is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and supporting children affected by the Israeli genocide on Gaza. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the PHRC works with its teams in Gaza and Cairo to provide trauma relief and mental health support through arts, drama, music, and play. With its programs, the PHRC supports children to reclaim their basic rights and rebuild their sense of childhood.

Why a book?

A book is a medium that can witness beyond the limits of space and time.

The stories told by the children of Gaza are a testimony of life as they are living it in real time. A book can preserve these stories so they are not lost to time. It is a platform for the voices that easily go unheard.

But more than that: This book is a call to action to everyone holding it in their hands.

It urges its readers to not stay silent. To look closely, revisit, and share. This book is a resource to talk about what is happening in Palestine, and what war, destruction and perpetual injustice do to the most vulnerable.

It can be used to raise awareness and inspire conversations now, and in the future.

The campaign

In order to make this book a reality, we need your help.

While our remote team consists of generous volunteers, the costs of producing the book remain.

All funds raised will go directly towards the book production and the distribution of the book. Book production includes the paper, test-printing, printing and binding.

All funds raised after covering the production will go directly to the PHRC projects.