30 Seconds from Gaza

A powerful graphic novel from an acclaimed Palestinian political cartoonist that archives often-censored digital footage of the realities in Gaza into enduring works of art.

Mohammad Sabaaneh, a Palestinian artist based in the West Bank, bears witness to genocide in 30 Seconds from Gaza—a graphic reflection that captures the horror of experiencing mass atrocity through 30-second video snippets sent to his phone in real time after October 7th, 2025. Through his stark black, white, and gray linocut cartoons, Sabaaneh transforms fleeting, often-censored digital footage into enduring works of art.

Internationally acclaimed for his bold political commentary, Sabaaneh documents the brutal realities of life under Israeli occupation. His powerful illustrations confront the atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, exposing the violence of apartheid and settler colonialism while honoring the unwavering resilience of the Palestinian people.

After being shadow-banned on social media, and losing 15 years of content due to censorship, Sabaaneh began drawing from the very footage most at risk of being deleted. Each image in this book is an act of defiance—an effort to preserve a visual history that corporations and occupiers seek to erase.

30 Seconds from Gaza: Diary of Genocide is both a devastating artistic archive and a courageous testament to Palestinian sumud (steadfastness). In a world where injustice is too often silenced, Sabaaneh’s work ensures the truth is seen—and remembered.

About the author

Mohammad Sabaaneh is an award-winning cartoonist and a former political prisoner in Palestine. He is the author of White and Black and Power Born of Dreams and is a Middle East representative for the Cartoonists Rights Network International. His work has been published in the Middle East Monitor, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Al-Hayat al-Jadida and many others. He teaches art at the Arab American University of Palestine.

Olive Branch Press, 2025
Paperback, 170 pages
ISBN: 978-1623716141