- Title: Red noses and face masks: Clowns bring cheer to West Bank, Gaza amid lockdown
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: HEBRON, WEST BANK (APRIL 6, 2020) (REUTERS) CLOWNS PERFORMING AT HEBRON'S OLD CITY FOR CHILDREN IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES CHILDREN WATCHING PERFORMANCE FROM BALCONY AND CLAPPING CLOWNS PLAYING WITH CHILDREN CHILDREN PLAYING WITH BALLOON ANIMALS CHILD SMILING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CLOWN, ANAS ALNATHER, SAYING: "Because of the (Israeli) restrictions in the old city and the settlers and settlements around the mosque we wanted to come and visit the children who are staying at home to motivate them to remain at home and to not mix with the other side (Israeli side) so they will not be infected with coronavirus which is now spreading all over the world." CLOWNS PERFORMING WHILE CHILDREN CLAP CHILD SMILING CLOWN WALKING UPSTAIRS VARIOUS OF CLOWN PLAYING WITH CHILDREN ON ROOFTOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF HEBRON, DOHA EDREES, SAYING: "We were at home when the clowns came and then we went outside to play with them and had a lot of fun and made really nice things, we were very happy." KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (APRIL 3, 2020) (REUTERS) CLOWNS WALKING THROUGH ALLEYWAY CLOWN PLAYING WITH BUBBLES CHILDREN WATCHING FROM WINDOW CLOWNS GIVING BALLOONS TO CHILDREN CLOWNS WAVING GOOD-BYE TO CHILDREN LOOKING FROM WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CLOWN FROM GAZA, FAYEZ MOHARIB, SAYING: "Stay at home and we will come to you. Today we are entertaining children while they are inside their homes because of the coronavirus that is hitting Gaza. There are no schools and no place to go to." VARIOUS OF CLOWNS PLAYING WITH CHILDREN
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2020 13:29
- Keywords: COVID-19 Children Clowns Coronavirus Gaza West Bank
- Location: No-Data-Available
- City: No-Data-Available
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001C8RTF15
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Palestinian clowns painted their faces and donned wigs, red noses and one new gimmick - surgical masks - to entertain children in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza amidst a coronavirus lockdown.
Dozens of smiling children, some holding balloon animals, lined up along the street and peered down from balconies in Hebron's Old City to take in the clowns' tricks and pranks.
"We wanted to come and visit the children, who are staying at home, and motivate them to remain at home" to avoid getting sick, said Anas Alnather, 43, a Palestinian clown.
The Palestinian Authority has reported one death and nearly 250 cases of the new coronavirus. Also, 13 cases have been reported in the Gaza Strip. Authorities in both territories have imposed curbs on movement to halt its spread.
In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, vibrant-coloured clowns strode through the city's narrow alleyways, handing out balloons to children and infants peering on from gated windows.
They were accompanied by a man in a head-to-toe dog costume, who performed tricks and gave high-fives to kids.
(Production: Yosri Al-Jamal, Bassam Masoud, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh, Mohammed Shana, Ead Barbakh, Mamoun Wazwaz, Rami Ayyub) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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