The occupied Palestinian lands are a harsh battleground that needs resistance, and the scene of losses so vast that one cannot comprehend. Here, children learn to fight before they can walk; witness death under the hail of gunfire; and suffer from the wounds of war.

But children have dreams. These dreams are not bound by chains but by olive branches; they rise against tanks and draw strength from the innocent creativity of a child’s mind. These dreams stand tall even if their houses are demolished.

Journalist and activist Abdullah Aytekin sought to capture and immortalize the dreams of children living in the shadow of war via their drawings, and he was inspired by the drawings of Gazan Maysa Yousef and 6-year-old Mona. Little Mona saw her mother among her 26 relatives who were martyred firsthand; in her anguish, she drew pictures to convey her emotions. And there was Maysa Yousef who painted a portrait of First Lady Emine Erdoğan and captured her emotions as she wept over the plight of Palestinian children. Her tears for the innocent souls lost in Gaza are seen in this portrait, falling over a young girl injured in the conflict.

Children of Gaza had a lot to say, but nobody was listening to the stories they had to share. Materials such as paper, pencils, and paint were thus supplied to local schools, fostering an atmosphere where children could depict their reality and preserve their experiences.

In contrast to the children’s natural drawings of sunny days and cozy homes, little Gazans depicted horrific horrors that no kid should have to face or see. Some brave souls stowed away in tunnels and battled as they brought the artwork of the children from Gaza to Egypt, where they met their martyrdom. The journey to Turkiye for the artworks was long and arduous, but ultimately worthwhile. The paintings have been under Abdullah Aytekin’s care since 2009, and now they are on display at the “Bulletproof Dreams: Gazan Child Painters’ Exhibition” put on by The Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications.

A selection of the 266 saved paintings from the “Bulletproof Dreams: Gazan Child Painters’ Exhibition” were faithfully transferred to digital form, while the other paintings were shown to the public in their original form. This exhibition will take you on a journey into the lives, stories, and pain of Gazan children, some of whom are no longer with us; here, their innocence and dreams will live on freely, just as every child deserves in a fair world.