Ruptly
"Children in the Gaza Strip are participating in a newly launched educational program that trains them to play musical instruments, aiming to help relieve the stress caused by two years of war in the territory. Footage shows several boys and girls practicing on musical instruments such as the violin, guitar, and oud, while others can be seen singing the popular song 'Peace for Gaza.' "I want to show that the people of Gaza are not just people suffering under harsh conditions. We are creative too [...] We are more than just people suffering and asking for food and money," trainee Zeina Abu Shaaban remarked. "The students' spirits improved after the war, displacement, and hunger. Music took them out of the atmosphere of bombing, blockade, and displacement," Hammad Al-Kharoubi, a violin instructor, added. The program, organized by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, is part of ongoing efforts to provide children with educational and artistic spaces, offering them opportunities to receive psychological support through music despite the difficult circumstances. The program includes instruction on a variety of musical instruments, along with choral training and interactive music activities, involving more than 70 children. The war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, 2023, following attacks carried out by the movement, which resulted in the deaths of 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and the kidnapping of more than 200 others. In response, the Israeli army launched a large-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip, including airstrikes and ground incursions, which, at the time of publication, had killed 72,773 Palestinians and injured 172,723 others. Last January, US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of the Trump 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza, which includes moving from a ceasefire to disarmament, forming a technocratic administration, and beginning reconstruction."
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