Handala

The character was created in 1969 by political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, and first took its current form in 1973. Handala became the signature of Naji al-Ali's cartoons and remains an iconic symbol of Palestinian identity and defiance. The character has been described as "portraying war, resistance, and the Palestinian identity with astounding clarity".

The name comes from the Arabic word for the colocynth (حنظل, ḥanẓal), a perennial plant native to the Levant, which bears bitter fruit, grows back when cut, and has deep roots