Banksy paints cute cat to draw attention to horrors in Gaza
- Text by Shelley Jones
Say what you like about Banksy – and people have, and they have again, and if there’s anything worse than a righteous street artist it’s a righteous street artist critic so please stop now – but the Bristol-born enigma has a unique ability to get eyes on an issue.
His latest urban intervention – a series of murals in war-torn Gaza and a complimentary YouTube video documenting the destruction – is testament to the power he has garnered as a social prankster.
A weeping goddess, kids riding a watchtower like a fairground ride and text – “If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless we side with the powerful – we don’t remain neutral” – are some of the pieces that have popped up in Gaza, which human rights activists are calling an ‘open-air prison’.
One of his more obscure paintings is of a kitten with a bow. Banksy gave an explanation on his website: “A local man came up and said ‘Please – what does this mean?’ I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website – but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”
The complimentary video is disguised, in true Banksy fashion, as a tourism video promoting Gaza as a go-to destination. The upbeat messages – “The locals like it so much they never leave” – juxtaposed with scenes of absolute devastation are painfully poignant in their irony and pretty difficult to watch.
So far the video has over 1.5 million views on YouTube. Increased awareness is a great thing, and if the public keep putting pressure on people in positions of power perhaps the plight of the Palestinian people will not remain so incredibly bleak.
You might like
Ra’ed Khan and the tireless work of Road to Freedom
Hurriyah — Having been providing frontline aid and support to refugees for over a decade, a new book featuring poetry by Omar Mooro traces the story of the NGO. In this chapter extract, founder and music executive Ra’ed Khan explains its origins.
Written by: Isaac Muk
‘Baking Street’: Activists rename Tube stations in heatwave protest
‘Heatwave, sponsored by Shell’ — The protest comes as the UK recorded the hottest day in June ever recorded at 36.7C.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Moshpits & kickflips at the Volcom Garden Experience 2026
Family affair — Last weekend, the skate, surf and snow culture brand hosted a free mini festival in its European backyard of Biarritz. We went along and chatted to legendary artist and surfer Ozzie Wright.
Written by: Isaac Muk
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The Pope has declared holy war on AI
The New Butlerian Jihad — In his first encyclical letter, Pope Leo XIV addressed the increasing pervasiveness of artificial intelligence as a threat to the already fragile structures of society. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland makes sense of it all.
Written by: Emma Garland
Horst Festival is a blueprint for a creative, collective future
Hymn — Highlighted by an engrossing performance directed by Fallon Mayanja, the 2026 edition was a showcase of ASIAT Park’s ever-evolving space as an incubator for art, music and creativity.
Written by: Isaac Muk
