{
  "id": 5361081,
  "title": "A traveling circus for the horror of Gaza",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/a-traveling-circus-for-the-horror-of-gaza",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T16:10:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "El Pais English",
    "slug": "el-pais-english",
    "url": "https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-09-03/a-traveling-circus-for-the-horror-of-gaza.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2018, Muhammad Jader, a young Palestinian from Gaza, founded the Free Gaza Circus to share circus skills with children and young people in the Jabalia refugee camp. The project, initially intended to spread circus culture through workshops and courses, grew to include 480 students. However, when Hamas launched an attack in October 2023 and Israel began bombing Gaza, the circus was forced to abandon its equipment and disperse, leaving Jader and his team traumatized in displacement camps.\n\nAs the situation worsened with food shortages, hunger, and destruction, the circus shifted its focus to providing mental health and social support. They began using clowns, circus tricks, and outdoor performances to bring smiles to the faces of Gazans, helping them cope with the daily routine of queuing for food and water. Jader, now 27, recalls the impact on adults as well, noting that they too were grateful for the brief respite from their hardships.\n\nIn spring 2025, with food availability improving and a brief ceasefire in place, the circus resumed its activities in the Deir al-Balah region. However, three of the original partners were killed during the invasion, and only four survivors were able to reunite and restart their efforts. Despite the challenges, including limited resources and ongoing airstrikes, the circus continues to provide psychosocial support to the displaced population in Gaza.",
  "summary": "The Israeli invasion has transformed an educational initiative into a show focused on making people of all ages laugh amid the destruction",
  "key_points": [
    "Muhammad Jader founded Free Gaza Circus in 2018 to share circus skills with Gaza youth.",
    "Circus shifted focus to mental health and social support amid Gaza's crisis in 2023.",
    "Circus resumes activities in Deir al-Balah in 2025 with only four survivors."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}