Puppeteer helps Gaza's strung-out children deal with horrors of war

Mahdi Atiya crafts puppets from scraps of materials he finds in the tented camp he lives in

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Mahdi Atiya is refusing to let almost a year of war stifle his creativity. The 43-year-old puppeteer is using his skills to entertain, enthral and distract children in the southern Gaza camp in which he now lives.

Amid the tents, to which he fled from Gaza city in the enclave's north after Israeli eviction orders, he and groups of children make puppets, escaping into their imaginations.

"The genocide continues to this moment but we are trying to do as much as possible with the resources available to provide children with education in a unique and impactful way," Mr Atiya told The National. He lost all his own puppets when he fled his home and is slowly recreating a collection using whatever materials come to hand.

Having worked in theatre and puppetry in Gaza for 18 years before the war broke out, Mr Atiya uses remnants of the conflict to craft his marionettes. The creative activities for children affected by Israel's bombardment of Gaza and are organised by the Injaz Palestine association in collaboration with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Using string and small pieces of wood, Mr Atiya helps the children create puppets and trains the youngsters to move and voice them. "We aim for the children to create dolls that represent them and their stories and narratives. They then prepare the entire stage," he said. "We also create games, visual arts, painting and colouring activities for them."

These activities are provided to observe how the children respond and interact. Using simple games made from cardboard, the aim is to enhance their cognitive and life skills while having a bit of fun.