Maha Al-Daya, a 41-year-old Palestinian artist, says, “Before the war, I used to embroider for happy moments. Now, I stitch to express my pain.” After the Gaza war began in October 2023, Maha, her husband, and their three children were among hundreds of Palestinians granted visas to live in France.

Now living in Paris, Maha uses embroidery to tell the story of the war and the suffering of her people. In one piece, she covers a map of Gaza with red thread to show areas destroyed during more than 21 months of fighting. In another, she sews the Arabic words “Stop the genocide” with black wool.

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The war started when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s military response has killed over 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Many human rights groups and experts have described the conflict as a genocide, though Israel denies this and says it is defending itself.

Maha and her family survived six months of conflict before they escaped Gaza. They fled their home with only a few clothes and spent four months living in a tent during the cold winter. Their shelter was bombed, and two of Maha’s nephews were seriously injured. With the help of an artist who raised money for them, the family paid a fee to leave Gaza. Today, they live safely in Paris, where Maha continues to use art to share her people’s pain and hope.