Handala
fictional cartoon character; prominent national symbol and personification of the Palestinian people
Handala (Arabic: حنظلة, romanized: Ḥanẓala), also Handhala, Hanzala or Hanthala, is a prominent national symbol and personification of the Palestinian people.
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".
Early publication
Handala appeared for the first time on Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah on 13 July 1969, and first turned his back to the viewer and clasped his hands behind his back from 1973 onwards.
Usage
Current usages of the Handala motif include:
The web mascot of the Iranian Green Movement
In Israeli artwork, particularly alongside the Israeli character Srulik
The ship used in the July 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla which challenged the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza was named after it.
Gallery
See also
Culture of Palestine
List of national symbols of Palestine
References
Bibliography
Singh, Ashutosh (1 October 2019). "Time and Waiting: The Fulcrum of Palestinian Identity". Arab Studies Quarterly. 41 (4).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Handala” is fictional cartoon character; prominent national symbol and personification of the Palestinian people. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Handala, fictional and cartoon, not as a finished interpretation.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q726269. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1969, 1973, 2025 and 2019.
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