Banksy’s art in Gaza following the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.

Naomi Zeveloff February 26, 2015

Banksy’s street art in Gaza.

The elusive English street artist Banksy has produced four new works in the Gaza Strip, taking wry aim at the human toll of last summer’s conflict.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Six months to the day after the end of the Gaza war, which killed more than 2,100 Palestinians — including hundreds of children — and 72 Israelis, Banksy published photographs of the four pieces on his web site. The images were confirmed as real Bansky productions by his publicist, Jo Brooks, according to press reports.

Gaza’s rubble is the canvas for Banksy’s new paintings, done in his iconic stenciled style.

One image on the side of a wall shows an Israeli military watchtower transformed into an amusement park swing ride for children. Another, entitled “Bomb Damage,” on a piece of freestanding debris, shows a woman weeping. A third, on the wall of what appears to be a destroyed house, is a giant cat with a pink bow. The fourth is a message in English, directed at the world outside Gaza: “If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless we side with the powerful — we don’t remain neutral.”

The installation was reported by Street Art News, among other publications. This isn’t Banksy’s first trip to Palestinian Territories. In the 2000s he painted several images on Israel’s separation barrier.

In addition to the photographs, Banksy released a short video about Gaza (which also includes shots of the West Bank) that is a mock travel advertisement for the devastated territory. “Welcome to Gaza,” read the video subtitles. “The locals like it so much they never leave (Because they’re not allowed to).”

In the video, an older man watches children play in front of Banksy’s cat painting. “This cat found something to play with,” he says. “What about our children?”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount