Naji al-Ali

Naji Salim al-Ali (1938–87) was a Palestinian cartoonist, noted for the political criticism in his work. He drew over 40,000 cartoons, which often reflected Palestinian and Arab public opinion and were sharply critical commentaries on Palestinian and Arab politics and political leaders. He is perhaps best known as creator of the character Handala, pictured in his cartoons as a young witness of the satirized policy or event depicted, and who has since become an icon of Palestinian defiance. Naji al-Ali was shot by unknown assailants outside the offices of “al-Qabas”, a Kuwaiti newspaper in London on July 22, 1987 and died 5 weeks later.