A Traveling Circus Brings Smiles to Gaza's Children

Much is pitch black in war-torn Gaza and the children are affected extra hard. The traveling circus Free Gaza Circus wants to create bright spots and a refuge for the children. A pause in the war where they can laugh and just be children. We want to give them a sense of normality, says the circus's founder Mohammad Khader.

» Published: September 28 2024

A Traveling Circus Brings Smiles to Gaza's Children
Photo: Free Gaza Circus

In a ring formation, masses of smiling children are standing. They are applauding and dancing at the same time as the sun slowly sets. Some of them have face paint in happy colors.

In the middle, two clowns, complete with red noses and hats, are juggling, performing acrobatic feats, and entertaining. It's a completely ordinary circus, but the circumstances are far from normal.

It's the traveling Free Gaza Circus that's bringing smiles to the children's faces. Outdoors, with sand under their feet and tents in the background, the circus is capturing the attention of both big and small. In a time where much of life in the Gaza Strip is about survival, they want to offer entertainment and a break from the war.

They need to get out of the routine and feel a little joy, says Mohammad Khader, who founded the circus in 2018.

We want to give them a sense of normality, at least for a moment.

A Haven for Children

Then, six years ago, the circus had its base in northern Gaza. In a studio, they taught circus skills to children, organized workshops, and held performances.

Now, in the midst of a raging war, they have instead moved between different tent camps and become a haven for children.

Children need to get away from the conflict and be surrounded by an environment that allows them to grow, says Mohammad Khader.

Since Israel launched its offensive on the Gaza Strip, after Hamas, labeled as a terrorist organization, attacked Israel on October 7 last year, life has been turned upside down for Palestinians in Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, over 40,000 people have been killed and many more have been injured.

According to the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, nearly two million people – almost the entire population – are on the run in the territory. Many of them have been forced to flee multiple times, after Israel issued evacuation orders in waves and in more and more places in search of Hamas leaders and fighters.

"Gives Us Hope"

The Free Gaza Circus studio in northern Gaza has been destroyed in an Israeli bombing raid, and at least two of the circus members have died. One of them was a gymnastics trainer. Mohammad Khader and the others on the circus only heard about his death a week later. But despite the deaths and the circumstances, the clowns never abandon their mission.

It gives us hope when we travel and perform for the children, says Mohammad Khader.

According to the aid organization International Rescue Committee, approximately 1.2 million children in Gaza are in need of psychosocial help. A need that cannot be met during a raging war. But for the children in Gaza who have lived in a war for almost eleven months, pauses, like the one the circus offers, are important. That's what Hanna Thermaenius, a child psychologist at Save the Children, means.

It's exhausting to be on high alert. War is devastating for children, it scares and stresses them constantly, she says.

A traveling circus or being able to read a book in someone's lap can become pauses where the whole body can relax for a moment through laughter and curiosity.

Less Frightening

But it's not just the audience that the circus brings a moment of joy to. Even for the performers, the circus can be therapeutic.

Absolutely, says Hanna Thermaenius.

Being able to do something for others increases well-being.

She also explains that children – and adults – seem to experience less stress when they have a task during something frightening. For example, being responsible for bringing the stuffed animals to the shelter when the air raid sirens go off.

Having a task is protective. Adults who for a moment don't radiate powerlessness are beneficial.

Hopes for the Future

When TT talks to Mohammad Khader, the circus is in central Gaza, after traveling across the Gaza Strip in search of children's laughter and fleeing from bombs.

In late July, they were forced to put all their activities on hold due to the spread of diseases in Gaza's many tent camps.

But despite the reality being dark in many ways, Mohammad Khader still has hope for the future.

We want to build a new center and start a circus school with activities that can help children heal, he says.

We have plans, we just need to get out of this nightmare first.

On Saturday, October 7, 2023, the terrorist-labeled Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Around 2,500 armed militiamen broke through the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Thousands of rockets were fired at Israeli territory.

More than 1,100 people in Israel, mostly unarmed civilians, were killed, shot, and burned to death. Massacres were carried out in kibbutzim and at the music festival Nova, which was held near the border. According to Israel, systematic rapes, torture, and mutilations occurred.

Nearly 250 people, including children, were taken as hostages and brought to Gaza by Hamas.

The day after the deadliest attack on Israel in the country's history, the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas. In extensive and sustained bombings, entire areas of the Gaza Strip have since been reduced to ruins. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas.

Currently, over 100 of the hostages, including around 30 believed to be dead, are thought to remain in Hamas captivity, since some were released and others were killed.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Most are civilians. Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza has simultaneously pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed since the start of the war, which followed the terrorist-labeled Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The figures come from health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Among the dead are nearly 300 aid workers, nearly 900 healthcare workers, and 170 journalists/media workers.

Around 1.9 million people are on the run within the Gaza Strip's borders, according to UN estimates. Many of them have been forced to flee multiple times.

Nearly half a million people in the area are estimated to be facing catastrophic levels of food shortages, according to the FN-supported IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification).

One million children are estimated to be in need of psychological and psychosocial support, according to Unicef.

85 percent of all schools/educational institutions have been destroyed entirely or partially, according to the UN agency Ocha. The same applies to 20 out of 36 hospitals.

Source: Ocha: Reported impact snapshot – Gaza Strip, August 21, 2024

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Netanyahu Visits Hungary Despite ICC
1 MIN READ

Netanyahu Visits Hungary Despite ICC Arrest Warrant

Slovakia Approves Culling of 350
1 MIN READ

Slovakia Approves Culling of 350 Bears After Fatal Attack

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Israeli Air Strikes in Syria Leave Four Dead, Hit Military Sites

Mike Waltz's Extensive Use of
1 MIN READ

Mike Waltz's Extensive Use of Signal Raises Security Concerns

Frederiksen Pledges Support for Greenland
2 MIN READ

Frederiksen Pledges Support for Greenland During Challenging Times

Elon Musk Expected to Exit
2 MIN READ

Elon Musk Expected to Exit White House Role Soon, Sources Say

NATO Faces Silence on Turkey's
2 MIN READ

NATO Faces Silence on Turkey's Journalist Arrest Before Key Meeting

Federal Court Dismisses Corruption Charges
1 MIN READ

Federal Court Dismisses Corruption Charges Against NYC Mayor Adams

Congo President Commutes Death Sentences
1 MIN READ

Congo President Commutes Death Sentences for Americans in Coup Plot

Hungary Plans ICC Exit as
2 MIN READ

Hungary Plans ICC Exit as Netanyahu Visits Budapest

Putin and Trump Not Meeting
1 MIN READ

Putin and Trump Not Meeting in Saudi Arabia, Kremlin Confirms

Ben-Gvir's Temple Mount Visit Sparks
2 MIN READ

Ben-Gvir's Temple Mount Visit Sparks Regional Condemnation

Greece Plans 25 Billion Euro
1 MIN READ

Greece Plans 25 Billion Euro Boost to Defense by 2036

Houthi Movement Reports Fatalities in
1 MIN READ

Houthi Movement Reports Fatalities in Alleged US Airstrikes in Yemen

Sperm Whale Found Dead on
1 MIN READ

Sperm Whale Found Dead on Danish Beach Near Aarhus

Argentina Opens Secret Files on
1 MIN READ

Argentina Opens Secret Files on Nazi Refugees and Their Financiers

Suspected Worst Rapist in UK
1 MIN READ

Suspected Worst Rapist in UK History Faces New Allegations

Liberal Judge Susan Crawford Wins
2 MIN READ

Liberal Judge Susan Crawford Wins Key Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Myanmar Junta Announces Ceasefire to
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Junta Announces Ceasefire to Aid Earthquake Relief Efforts

Netanyahu Announces New Security Corridor
3 MIN READ

Netanyahu Announces New Security Corridor Through Gaza Strip

Frederiksen Visits Greenland as Concerns
2 MIN READ

Frederiksen Visits Greenland as Concerns Over US Interest Persist

China Wraps Up Military Drills
2 MIN READ

China Wraps Up Military Drills Near Taiwan, Raising Regional Tensions

White House Evaluates Economic Impact
2 MIN READ

White House Evaluates Economic Impact of Potential Greenland Acquisition

WWII Codebreaker Charlotte Webb, Honored
2 MIN READ

WWII Codebreaker Charlotte Webb, Honored by Queen, Dies at 101

Russian Envoy Dmitrijev Eyes Washington
1 MIN READ

Russian Envoy Dmitrijev Eyes Washington Visit for Key Talks

Four Killed in Russian Drone
1 MIN READ

Four Killed in Russian Drone Attack on Ukrainian City Kryvyj Rih

Cory Booker's 25-Hour Senate Speech
3 MIN READ

Cory Booker's 25-Hour Senate Speech Sets Record in Trump Protest

Trump Adviser Faces Scrutiny Over
2 MIN READ

Trump Adviser Faces Scrutiny Over Private Email Use in Security Role

Zelenskyj Seeks Support for Potential
1 MIN READ

Zelenskyj Seeks Support for Potential Peacekeeping Forces in Ukraine

Denmark Sets 18-Year Age Limit
1 MIN READ

Denmark Sets 18-Year Age Limit for High-Alcohol Drinks

Le Pen Awaits Appeal Verdict
2 MIN READ

Le Pen Awaits Appeal Verdict on 2027 Election Ban Next Summer

Fourth Missing US Soldier Found
1 MIN READ

Fourth Missing US Soldier Found Dead in Lithuania

Russian Advances in Eastern Ukraine
1 MIN READ

Russian Advances in Eastern Ukraine Slow for Fourth Month

Bird Flu Outbreak Hits Danish
1 MIN READ

Bird Flu Outbreak Hits Danish Farm, 24 Chickens Culled

23 States Sue Trump Administration
2 MIN READ

23 States Sue Trump Administration Over Health Funding Cuts

Europol Set for Expansion in
1 MIN READ

Europol Set for Expansion in New EU Security Strategy

Search Continues for Missing Plane
1 MIN READ

Search Continues for Missing Plane in Norway with Two Feared Dead

Trump's First Foreign Trip as
1 MIN READ

Trump's First Foreign Trip as President: Saudi Arabia and Beyond

Danish Police Arrest 10 Bandidos
1 MIN READ

Danish Police Arrest 10 Bandidos Gang Members at Sejet Inn

German EU Politician Faces Probe
1 MIN READ

German EU Politician Faces Probe Over Controversial Nazi Greeting Post