In a place where laughter has been silenced and the thunder of warplanes drowns out childhood’s whispers, Mohammed Al-Amoudi stands not with weapons, but with stories. From a makeshift tent amid the ruins of Al-Shati refugee camp, he revives the imagination, hope, and fragile joy stolen by conflict.

With a worn hat perched atop his head and a voice that brings to life the laughter buried beneath rubble, Mohammed, the “Hakawati” or storyteller, transforms grief into art, turning devastation into a stage where tales of resilience and love for Gaza’s children unfold.

His passion was born in childhood, listening to his fisherman grandfather’s tales of the sea. Over the past decade, Mohammed’s gift for voice impersonation has blossomed into a mission: to bring smiles to children who endure the horrors of siege and war. In his words to Snd News Agency, “We try, even if only briefly, to ease the pain of children enduring genocide.”

One story cherished by children tells of Sha’shaboun, a tiny spider who bravely navigates danger, teaching youngsters to avoid deadly remnants of war. Beneath its humour lies a poignant lesson of courage in the face of destruction.

Though he lost his home, and even his costume, Mohammed refuses to surrender. Using secondhand clothes, he fashioned a new outfit, returning with renewed spirit. “Art knows no despair, even if the artist lives in a tent,” he says.

As a father himself, Mohammed feels the heartbreak deeply: “Children’s dreams no longer soar; they fall wearily to the ground. Their hopes have shifted from becoming doctors to simply finding bread or surviving another day.”

Mohammed Al-Amoudi’s storytelling is more than entertainment, it is a lifeline, carrying the sorrow and resilience of Gaza’s children and planting flickers of hope amid the darkness of war.