War between Israel and Hamas: in Gaza, a “free circus” wants to make children forget the war, “fear and anxiety”

In Gaza, despite the violence of the war, a small circus troupe is trying to put on shows in the refugee camps to allow children to forget their terrible daily lives for a few moments.

In a devastated landscape, in front of a few white refugee tents, a video shows the meeting between children and the Free Gaza Circus. A breath of fresh air for the children who represent half the population in the enclave, ravaged by Israeli attacks since the start of the war against Hamas almost a year ago. In this video, the circus man advances, despite the war, in a colorful costume on stilts.

“We go to these camps and to the schools where they are staying. We have a loudspeaker and a microphone, we tell them to come and we start our performance.”explains Mohamed Khader, the founder of the Gaza Free Circus.

This circus was created six years ago. Its premises were destroyed, so like the inhabitants of the enclave, it became itinerant, to try to put children back in their place as children for a few minutes. “You see on their faces the routine, the boredom and the fear and the anxiety. All these feelings that we can barely handle as adults, you see it on their faces, and it causes a lot of stress in these children. We try to make them forget.”

In Gaza, these pocket performances are like collective therapy, says Rana Mansour, who follows Khader from the United States. “When the war started, there were desperate people. And he told me, ‘I’m not going to sit around and do nothing, this will help us morally and mentally, and it will help the children.'”

“When one person is able to laugh, others are also able to laugh.”

Tim Cunningham, from the Clowns Without Borders association

to franceinfo

The circus operates on a shoestring basis. It is supported by the Clowns Without Borders association run by Tim Cunningham in the United States. “The hard part is finding a safe place to gather the kids. So they’re not at risk of being hit in a missile strike. When you have that, the laughter comes easily.”

Before Rafah was taken, the circus performed twice a day. But this has become more difficult for security reasons.