TEHRAN- Iranian filmmakers have created four short films to highlight the resistance and difficult conditions faced by the people of Gaza. 

Produced by the Sureh Youth Film Center, these films aim to raise awareness about the situation and shed light on the struggles experienced by the people in Gaza, ISNA reported on Tuesday. 

One of these films, titled "Embrace," directed by Amirhossein Kashmiri and produced by Hossein Rezaifar, has undergone technical stages and is now ready to be screened, the report added. 

Another short film, "Message," written and directed by Saeid Moltaji, vividly portrays the life of a courageous female journalist before her martyrdom, highlighting the devastating aftermath of merciless attacks by the Zionist occupying regime. The sound design of this film was intricately crafted using authentic sounds captured within the city of Gaza.

Inspired by the poetic works of renowned Palestinian author and politician Ghassan Kanafani, the animated short film "Melody of the Clouds," directed by Mohammad Lotfali and produced by Hadi Firuzmandi, depicts the immense suffering experienced by children in Gaza.

"The Land of Sorrowful Sprouts," an animated short film directed by Zeynab Sadat Badri and produced by Mohaddeseh Pirhadi, weaves a tale of the heart-wrenching struggles faced by the innocent children of Gaza.

The Sureh Youth Film Center, which aims to promote storytelling cinema and highlight young talents across various Iranian provinces, has played a pivotal role in supporting and nurturing these filmmakers in their creative endeavors.

On October 7, Israel started a deadly war on Gaza after the territory’s Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, launched a surprise retaliation strike against the occupying regime, codenamed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

The Israeli regime's offensive has claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 individuals in Gaza, with a significant majority being women and children. Furthermore, over 53,000 people have suffered injuries as a result.

Israeli officials, including the prime minister, have made public statements endorsing or pledging to carry out acts of genocide against Palestinians throughout the course of this conflict. These alarming declarations have raised serious concerns regarding the protection of human rights and the safety of the Palestinian population.

Tel Aviv has also imposed severe restrictions on essential resources such as water, power, and gasoline in one of the world's most densely populated areas. This deprivation has resulted in a scarcity of medical supplies and food, leaving 2.3 million Palestinians at risk of starvation.

UNICEF has recently announced that children and families in Gaza are caught in a catastrophic situation. 

Thousands of children have reportedly been killed and thousands more injured. Children and families in Gaza have been cut off from water, food, fuel, medicine, and other essentials, including safe access to hospitals, following escalating hostilities. 

UNICEF has also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for unrestricted humanitarian access to allow aid to reach children and families in need, save lives and prevent further suffering.  

The cost to children and their communities of the escalating violence will be borne out for generations to come. Children are dying at an alarming rate and being denied their basic rights. Civilians must be protected – children particularly – and all efforts must be made to spare them in all circumstances.

Culled from Tehran Times