GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Cordoba Students' Center started a recent meeting with the sounds of musical instruments and Arabic melodies. The attendees gathered in the Cordoba Restaurant, in southern Gaza City, where the meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month in a private room. Arab originality and Palestinian heritage are showcased in the room's books, photos and other decorations.

The center has allowed young Gazan students to rebel peacefully together against their bitter reality of life under the stifling blockade on their city and against the backdrop of the Palestinian division. The group hosted its first art, culture and music festival Dec. 5 to proclaim to the world that Gaza has another side that eagerly embraces life.

The center opened July 1. Its founder, Yousri al-Ghoul, told Al-Monitor, “The owner of Cordoba Restaurant came to me with the idea of organizing a cultural activity at his restaurant. He believes it is very important to have a place that hosts youth cultural and artistic events, in light of the official institutions’ poor attention and capacities in this respect, due the Israeli blockade on Gaza and the Palestinian division.”

Ghoul added, “Following his proposal I decided with a group of young people to form a group that represents all spectra of the Palestinian people, to advance the cultural, literary and artistic situation in Gaza.”