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Young Palestinian’s self-immolation underscores economic hardships among youth |
A young man has died after setting
himself on fire in the Gaza Strip, apparently in protest at economic hardship
in the Palestinian enclave, the family and police said on Monday.
Ehab Abu Nada, 18, left his home
on Thursday after an argument with his father, who had urged him to find work
to help feed his poor family.
on Thursday after an argument with his father, who had urged him to find work
to help feed his poor family.
Frustrated in his job hunt, Abu
Nada doused himself in petrol and set himself alight inside Gaza’s main Shifa
hospital.
Nada doused himself in petrol and set himself alight inside Gaza’s main Shifa
hospital.
His neighbours suggested he might
have chosen to immolate himself at the hospital because he had wanted to make a
gesture rather than kill himself, but medics there could not save him.
have chosen to immolate himself at the hospital because he had wanted to make a
gesture rather than kill himself, but medics there could not save him.
He was pronounced dead on Sunday.
“He left to seek work and he did
not come back. My heart was shattered,” his weeping father told a local radio
station.
not come back. My heart was shattered,” his weeping father told a local radio
station.
“We live in a miserable
condition. We live in a rented house and I hardly can afford the rent,’’ he
added.
condition. We live in a rented house and I hardly can afford the rent,’’ he
added.
A police official from the
Islamist Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, said an investigation was under way
to dtermine the motive of Abu Nada’s death, as he cited unemployment as the
possible motive.
Islamist Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, said an investigation was under way
to dtermine the motive of Abu Nada’s death, as he cited unemployment as the
possible motive.
Abu Nada’s suicide was another
sign of frustration over the lack of work in the coastal territory, where a
another Gazan man set himself ablaze last year in despair but survived.
sign of frustration over the lack of work in the coastal territory, where a
another Gazan man set himself ablaze last year in despair but survived.
The teenager’s death is
reminiscent of the self-immolation of the impoverished Tunisian fruit-seller
Mohamed Bouazizi in December 2010, which sparked an uprising that toppled
Tunisia’s president and ignited protests across the Arab world.
reminiscent of the self-immolation of the impoverished Tunisian fruit-seller
Mohamed Bouazizi in December 2010, which sparked an uprising that toppled
Tunisia’s president and ignited protests across the Arab world.
Two suicides-by-fire in
neighbouring Israel this year have coincided with lingering social justice
protests.
neighbouring Israel this year have coincided with lingering social justice
protests.
But few Gazans anticipate any
broad unrest as a result of the case in the desperately poor but
heavily-policed Strip, which has endured an Israeli economic blockade for
years.
broad unrest as a result of the case in the desperately poor but
heavily-policed Strip, which has endured an Israeli economic blockade for
years.
A UN report published last week
said poverty stood at 40 per cent among Gaza’s 1.6 million people, of whom 80
per cent depended on outside aid.
said poverty stood at 40 per cent among Gaza’s 1.6 million people, of whom 80
per cent depended on outside aid.
It also said nearly 30 per cent of
the people were jobless.
the people were jobless.
It was unclear how Abu Nada’s
death would affect the policies of Gaza’s Hamas rulers, who took over Gaza in
2007 after a brief civil war with forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas’s
Fatah movement, which holds sway in the West Bank.
death would affect the policies of Gaza’s Hamas rulers, who took over Gaza in
2007 after a brief civil war with forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas’s
Fatah movement, which holds sway in the West Bank.
Palestinians claim both
territories, including East Jerusalem, for a future state, an aspiration
hampered by the Fatah-Hamas rift, as well as by Israel’s claim to all of
Jerusalem and its occupation of the West Bank.
territories, including East Jerusalem, for a future state, an aspiration
hampered by the Fatah-Hamas rift, as well as by Israel’s claim to all of
Jerusalem and its occupation of the West Bank.
Many Gaza and West Bank residents
blame the political division for tearing apart Palestinians’ social fabric,
dimming hopes for statehood and hamstringing the economy.
blame the political division for tearing apart Palestinians’ social fabric,
dimming hopes for statehood and hamstringing the economy.
