There are books that are not meant for the faint of heart. Some readings are best to leave aside until you can process them and understand them, even appreciate them for what they are: a loud, unapologetic, much-needed protest against something so wrong you can’t describe it with words. There are books that are too heavy because of what they tell you about. Books like Gaza in My Phone, by Mazen Kerbaj. Thanks to OR Books for the review copy!
- Format: 144 pages, Paperback.
- Published: June 10, 2025, by OR Books.
- Genres and Tags: Palestine, social commentary, nonfiction, genocide, mental health.
- 5/5 stars.
Gaza in My Phone presents the powerful art of Lebanese cartoonist Mazen Kerbaj, drawn in response to social media images of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
Gaza is the first genocide to be captured in real-time images on devices we hold in our hands. Two days after October 7, the Lebanese comic artist Mazen Kerbaj began drawing in reaction to what was appearing in his phone. This powerful and original book brings together that work.
Mazen draws in part to bear witness and raise awareness, but also as a coping mechanism, to remain sane amid the unfolding madness. His straight-to-the-point, high-contrast black-and-white art is accompanied by striking slogans and captions. It has been shared widely around the world, helping people express their solidarity with Palestine.
Produced from Berlin, a city where the repression of Palestinian support has been particularly fierce, Mazen’s drawings raise fundamental questions about seeing as an act of solidarity when those in power seek to suppress news of what is happening.
Haunted by the live-streamed images, we dread seeing more when we open our phones. By representing them in simple cartoons, Mazen allows us to scrutinize and reflect on the horrors we have witnessed. The result is an extraordinary sequence of images and messages that ask us to pause for a moment, to stop, look, mourn, and summon the resolve to head out and join the fight for the living, for life, for justice.
I read this book twice because the first time, I was so impressed that I needed time to process it. Months later, I read it a second time, and here I am, writing right after it. Gaza in My Phone is not for the faint of heart, as I said, because it is the unadulterated truth of what is happening in Palestine.
Far from being a war, this is a genocide, and Mazen Kerbaj doesn’t shy away from this reality. His raw style reflects the anger and sadness, as if such simple words can even suit the visceral reaction one gets with this topic, you experience when learning about Palestine, and he does it with such a huge amount of respect and admiration for these people you can’t help but keep on reading, getting to know more with each page about the gruesome reality Palestinians are living.
The most impressive part of Gaza in My Phone is the simplicity of the images. This only enhances their impact. Some pages do not even have a drawing, and that is still so powerful that you can’t look away. It is one of those readings that grabs you from beginning to end, experiencing a full-on roller coaster of emotions. On top of that, you learn more than you would expect from a seemingly simple book. It is a powerful addition for anyone concerned with social issues because there is no going back after you finish this.
Although it is depressing, absolutely devastating, as a reader, I can recognize this is what Mazen Kerbaj partially intended to provoke: indignation, rage, a reaction of any type, so you would wake up and do something about this nightmare that so many people are living through. With a raw intensity, Gaza in My Phone cannot leave anyone indifferent. No one human, that is.
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