"She was killed unjustly," begins Malak Zaarab, the cousin of Palestinian artist Dina Khaled Zaarab, who died after an Israeli airstrike targeted a displaced persons camp, west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, where she and her family had taken shelter.
"She was with her sister Lina and our other cousin Hassan. They were just seeking a few moments of peace and serenity by the sea, in the face of our harsh reality of attacks, displacement and life in tents," 26-year-old Malak continues, adding that her cousin had often gifted some of her portraits to people there.
"Suddenly, they were targeted by a brutal airstrike. Dina was blown to pieces. Hassan was also killed, and Lina was seriously injured."
Dina Khaled Zaarab was known as the martyrs' artist for her beautiful artwork that would honour the memory of people killed in Gaza amid Israel's ongoing genocide. She won the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights Award in 2015 for the best drawing on children’s rights in armed conflict. Dina was later recognised by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for her work.
Malak shared that Dina came from a family that loved and appreciated art. Since her childhood, Dina has had a passion for drawing and dreamt of becoming an internationally recognised artist, she adds.
"Dina and her sister Lina were like sisters to me," Malak continues.
"We grew up together in the same neighbourhood, sharing countless memories. During the displacement, we remained close, meeting whenever we could, laughing together and trying to maintain a seemingly normal life. Dina had a kind soul. She was full of life, always smiling and deeply loved by everyone."
Malak is now focusing her efforts on trying to save her cousin, Lina, also an art enthusiast, who was seriously injured in the bombing that killed Dina.
“Lina is now in critical condition,” Malak says. "She is still in a hospital bed, her body covered with burns and shrapnel wounds. Her leg has been amputated, and she urgently needs to travel abroad to receive medical treatment and a prosthesis. She also needs psychological support after what she has been through."
She appealed, "Please help us save Lina. We cannot bear to lose another family member. We don't want her to wake up from this nightmare only to find herself physically broken and emotionally shattered after losing her sister and cousin. She needs solidarity, and we need your voice. Support Lina. Help us keep Dina's memory alive."
The martyrs' artist
Dina's work consisted of charcoal portraits, landscapes and colourful paintings. Through her Instagram account, she posted her work in hopes of reaching a wider audience. Before her death, she had used her page to share her humanitarian projects where she would be seen distributing aid to displaced families in camps.
“Dina made a portrait of journalist Ahmed Abu Al-Rous and his friend," Malak notes. "She gave the drawing as a gift to Ahmed, but he was killed shortly after."
The 29-year-old Palestinian journalist worked as a reporter and photographer for the local Assulta Arrabaa (Fourth Estate) news agency, and was one of five people killed when an Israeli drone strike hit his car on January 15, 2025, at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, days before a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza began.
Dina's portrait became a tribute to the martyred journalist, and from there she began honouring the stories and lives of those killed in Gaza.
One of her most popular artworks was of Khaled Nabhan and his granddaughter Reem, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. A video of Khaled mourning Reem went viral when he referred to her as his Ruh al-ruh (Soul of my Soul), which became symbolic of Gaza's suffering. Khaled was later killed in an Israeli bombardment on 16 December 2024.
The Palestinian Ministry of Culture honoured the memory of Dina Khaled Zaarab.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family and intellectual friends of the martyr,” the Ministry said on social media. "She specialised in portraiture, to paint martyrs during the war... but she became one of them, painting the last picture with her own blood."
An artist who will always be remembered
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023, levelling entire neighbourhoods and plunging the enclave into a deep humanitarian crisis.
Since Israel shattered the ceasefire agreement with Hamas on 18 March, at least 2,273 Palestinians have been killed.
Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a "live-streamed genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza by forcibly displacing most of the population and deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe.
Amid the horrors and deaths, the stories and lives of Palestinians, like Dina, killed in Israel's genocide, will always be remembered.
“Is there a darker irony than this Palestinian scene?” asks cartoonist Mohammad Sabaaneh.
"Dina painted the faces of martyrs to comfort their grieving families and drew new canvases, but she soon became a portrait herself; a martyr immortalised in the very art she believed could protect life," Mohammad adds.
"Dina thought that art was a way to survive, a form of resistance, a fragile but powerful statement of existence. The brutality of the Israeli occupation rejects beauty, erases it, just as it seeks to eliminate all signs of life in Gaza. Yet Dina remains, as do all those who have left us."
Manal Kahlout, a Gaza artist and cartoonist, was also affected by the death of the young painter of the martyrs.
"Dina's art reflected the resilience, dreams and daily struggle of life in Gaza," she tells The New Arab.
"Through her delicate lines and expressive portraits, she gave voice to the silent pain and quiet strength of her people, especially women. Her work is a testament to the power of creativity in the most difficult circumstances. Her loss is not only personal to those who knew her, but also a painful blow to the cultural fabric of Gaza," Manal adds.
"As an artist, I found her drawings deeply inspiring and rich in emotional depth. She will be remembered not only for what she created, but also for what she represented."
Giovanni Vigna is a freelance Italian journalist with a focus on Middle Eastern and global politics