Fedaa al-Nashar, a 23-year-old Gaza art student stood in front of a wall in a main street in Gaza city and began to depict graffiti that expresses solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Nashar, along with her classmates and many Palestinian young people, are in fund of graffiti. She said it reflects the real Palestinian life and their endless conflict with Israel.

"I made many colorful graffiti on the walls in Gaza, and beside that, I study art at al-Aqasa University. In my painting, either graffiti or portrait, I show the reality of the Palestinian people 's life," al-Nashar told Xinhua.

Palestinian graffiti art is not only to inform the public about their struggle against Israel, but also reflects the political, economic and social environment. It used to be an action of individuals, but now it turns to be well-organized.

"In Gaza we live under an Israeli siege for six years. The ongoing conflict inspired me and my friends to focus on this and show in public places that our people are eager for freedom and independence despite the suffering," she said.

A huge colorful graffiti on a wall of a former main security compound in Gaza that was repeatedly struck by Israeli missiles, shows some masked militants engaged in a gun battle with Israeli army tanks backed by fighter planes.

Other graffito either describe the Palestinian refugees' right, or poverty and unemployment issues that were resulted by the ongoing Israeli blockade.

Mohamed Rezqallah, a 40-year-old Palestinian artist from Gaza who trains other street artists, told Xinhua that "During the first Intifada, making graffiti on public walls was full of risk, as so many young men were shot dead or injured by the Israeli army. "

"The situation these days is different... The colorful graffiti on the walls are not only beautiful, but also expresses the reality of the Palestinian people's life, their hopes and aspirations," he added.

In addition to young graffiti artists, various Palestinian factions, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the left-wing groups have written their own graffiti in various Gaza Strip areas to commemorate senior militants and leaders killed by Israel.

In the West Bank, painting graffiti is different from the Gaza Strip. It usually reflects the West Bank struggle against the expansion of Israeli settlements and the separation wall that Israel has been building on the West Bank lands and farms since 2002.

"Now not only Palestinian graffiti artists paint on walls, but also International Solidarity Movement activists who join the Palestinian protests against the expansion of Israeli settlement, the confiscation of lands and the construction of the wall," said Hamza Abu Ayyash, a 32-year-old art teacher.

Ayyash, another street artist told Xinhua that graffiti "is a peaceful way to conveying message," adding "A graffiti painting expresses what politicians can't usually express." Endi

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