April 8, 2022
3 mins read

Gaza Airport Turns Gallery

Palestinian artists express nostalgia about Gaza airport through art works  …. Writes Sanaa Kamal, Xinhua

Mohammed Qureiqa, a Gaza-based artist stood in front of the remains of the destroyed Gaza International Airport terminal in the southern Gaza Strip, overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and astonishment over the fate of this “dream place” for Gazans.

“I have heard a lot about the airport in Gaza, but I have not been here before,” the 23-year-old artist told Xinhua.

“I had imagined what would this place look like and in my imagination, there was an elderly woman waiting for her turn to board the plane.”

So far, the Gaza airport remains dysfunctional and it makes the young man outraged.

“It is not fair that Gazans are deprived of their legitimate right to have their own airport, which gives them freedom of travel,” he said.

Qureiqa translated his feelings towards the “destroyed airport” into paintings that describe the situation of the besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

In one of his works, He painted three stacked suitcases surrounded by large slabs with thorns.

The construction of Gaza International Airport began at the end of January 1996 when the late President Yasser Arafat decided to lay the foundation stone for this national edifice, and it was opened in 1998.

The airport, sitting on an area of 2,350 dunums (235 hectares), is located in the Rafah Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip.

It was designed to receive large Boeing 747 aircraft, and includes a terminal with an area of four thousand square meters, accommodating more than 750,000 passengers per year with the possibility of expansion.

However, it stopped operating in 2001, after the Israeli army damaged it as a result of military tensions with the Palestinian factions. It was completely destroyed in 2006, following the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2005.

Qureiqa is not the only artist who expresses nostalgia about Gaza airport through paintings. Jihad Jarbou, also embodied her feelings by creating an iron sculpture of a tightly closed travel bag.

“For many years, when someone planned to travel, I heard my relatives saying that take me with you in the bag, to express the difficulty of traveling from Gaza,” Jarbou, 22, told Xinhua.

“I used to travel a lot, and when I landed at the airports in other countries, I was heartbroken because we were deprived of being in our own airport,” Jerboa added.

ALSO READ: Art in real-time and real space

“We (Gazans) suffer a lot in our trips, as we take many hours before we reach Egypt, which is our gateway to the outside world,” she said, expressing her hope that the Gaza airport will be built again in the near future.

Both Qureiqa and Jerboa were among the artists who participated in the exhibition “Gaza International Airport” organized by the Tamer Foundation for Community Education, which aims to document “the Gaza artists’ vision of the destroyed Gaza airport and their wishes to re-establish it,” said Bissan Nadim, the project coordinator at the foundation.

“It is very difficult to paint the airport by pure imagination, where is just rubble and columns. The airport is a civilian entity before it is political or military, as it gives us freedom of movement, which is included in all international laws,” she told Xinhua.

Previous Story

Arab League hails Yemen peace deal

Next Story

China warned against engagement with Myanmar junta

Latest from Arab News

Hamas Reiterates Peace Effort After U.S. Jab

Hamas Reaffirms Commitment to Ceasefire Talks After U.S. Criticism…reports Asian Lite News Hamas on Friday reiterated its commitment to the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, responding to remarks by U.S. Special Envoy to the

Israel, US recall teams from Gaza truce talks

Steve Witkoff said mediators had made a great effort but “Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith”…reports Asian Lite News Israel and the United States recalled their

Riyadh welcomes Paris pivot to Palestine

Move stirs global response as Macron breaks G7 ranks; Israel and US condemn recognition bid amid Gaza war…reports Asian Lite News Saudi Arabia has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to officially

‘UN-OIC unity key to peace push’

Khaled Khiari, particularly highlighted the convergence of UN and OIC efforts in the Middle East, especially in seeking a just, comprehensive resolution to the Palestine question…reports Asian Lite News The United Nations

UAE talks big at global SDG meet

The forum provided a platform for the UAE to highlight its pioneering role in accelerating progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals..reports Asian Lite News The United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its global
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Starmer calls for Gaza ceasefire

The leader made the comments in a speech to the

Aid Access to Gaza Severely Hampered, Says UN

Shortly after its reopening on May 8, militants fired eight