In this Saturday Dec 19, 2015 photo, a Palestinian boy runs by a painted house in the Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. [Photo/AP]

The artists drew flowers on the pastel yellow, pink and purple walls, used recycled wood to create slanted window frames, and converted old tires into flower pots. On one wall, they drew an elephant with its back as high as the wall. When children sit atop the wall, they appear as if they are riding the elephant.

"They cleaned the camp. I came here and they were coloring, and I was like, 'What's this?' I did not recognize the area," said Karam Abdel-Bari, an unemployed camp resident.