Who is Handala, the barefoot, spiky-haired boy who symbolizes Palestinian resistance?
Created by cartoonist Naji al-Ali in 1969, Handala is a 10-year-old Palestinian refugee with his back to the world. The war in Gaza has renewed interest in this representation of Palestinian struggle.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — His hair is like a hedgehog, his feet are bare, his clothes are rags and his back is to the world always. His name is Handala.
A character created by Palestinian newspaper cartoonist Naji al-Ali in 1969 — two years after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war — the boy known as Handala is a symbol of the Palestinian struggle and resistance to occupation to this day.
As the , there has been renewed interest in Handala and what he represents. For instance, a group of artists in Italy recently banded together to create a poster that pays tribute to Handala.
