In Gaza, a Garden Designer Creates a Space for Joy Amid the Ruins of War

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip /PNN - Report by Rasha Ahmad -

In Gaza, where years of conflict and destruction have disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life, a garden designer is turning his talent into an effort to create moments of beauty, joy and relief for people living through extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

Imad Al-Aqqad, who specialises in designing gardens for resorts, has appealed to governments, organisations and institutions capable of providing assistance to pay greater attention to Palestinian talent and help support his work.

He said any form of support could help him expand his projects and produce larger and more distinctive designs.

Al-Aqqad said what he has accomplished so far represents only a small part of what he believes he can achieve.

With the necessary resources and support, he said, he could create much larger and more beautiful projects, transforming his ideas into spaces where people can experience moments of happiness and hope despite the hardship surrounding them.

For visitors, the attraction has offered more than entertainment for children. It has also provided adults with a rare opportunity to reconnect with fragments of normal life that have been lost during the war.

One visitor said he had previously taken photographs at the site and described the experience as a source of great happiness. He said his parents had helped him reach the location and that his mother had encouraged him to visit and take photographs.

He expressed hope that Gaza would one day return to the way it was before the war, with beautiful places where people could gather, relax and enjoy themselves.

He said initiatives such as this give residents, despite the difficult circumstances, an opportunity to recover a sense of normality and, even briefly, to smile.

For children, the experience can also bring back memories of a Gaza that existed before the war.

Mohammad Abu Taha, a child from Gaza, said the place reminded him of life before the war, when the area was full of activity, happiness and beautiful scenery.

He said seeing the site improve today gives him a sense of comfort and feels very different from the destruction and suffering experienced by people in Gaza during the war.

For Al-Aqqad, however, the project is about more than creating an attractive space. It is also an attempt to use Palestinian creativity to offer people something they urgently need: a place where they can experience a moment of beauty, relief and hope.

And his message to those who can help is simple — Palestinian talent needs an opportunity.

With greater support and resources, Al-Aqqad says, the ideas that have so far taken shape on a small scale could become larger projects capable of giving more people in Gaza a chance to experience moments of joy in the midst of hardship.

This video was produced with financial support from CFI, Expertise France and the European Union. The content of this document is the sole responsibility of the beneficiary and may not, under any circumstances, be considered to reflect the views or position of CFI, Expertise France or the European Union.