Palestinian artist Iyad Sabbah stands in front of his statues amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas last summer, in the Shuja’yyeh neighborhood in Gaza on October 21, 2014. The statues are made of fiberglass and covered with clay and are depictions of the Palestinians who fled their houses from Israeli shelling during the most recent conflict. (Photo: Ramadan El-Agha/APA Images)
In the middle of Gaza City is Palestine Square, a gathering spot for families shopping, couples strolling, and workers having a lunch break. In the center of it all is the Phoenix, a graceful, aged, bronze bird, its wings pointing to the sky as if about to take off.