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WORLD NEWS Thursday 17 May 2018
With little to lose, Gaza's men drawn to border protests

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) by cutting salaries to its for- jeep came and fired tear when I learned about his Shtewi directs his anger at
— Marwan Shtewi is poor, mer workforce and limiting gas. I was hit. I don't know injury because I thought he Israel. In December, he par-
unemployed and at the electricity transmission. how and when I ended up was martyred." ticipated in protests when
age of 32 has never even The results are stagger- here." Shtewi grew up in Zeitoun, President Donald Trump
left the Gaza Strip. ing. Gazans receive only The high casualty count a hardscrabble neigh- recognized Jerusalem as Is-
With few prospects and lit- several hours of electricity has drawn international borhood on the southern rael's capital. Last summer,
tle to fear, Shtewi is among a day, unable to predict condemnations against Is- outskirts of Gaza City. Like he was wounded in the
the crowds of young men when power will come on. rael and accusations that many Gazans, Shtewi has leg by Israeli gunfire dur-
who put themselves on the Tap water is undrinkable, it is using disproportionate never set foot outside the ing Gaza protests against
front lines of violent protests and the Mediterranean force. Just one soldier has 25-mile (40-kilometer) strip Israel's installation of metal
along the border with Israel, beachfront smells from
risking their lives in a weekly the tons of untreated sew-
showdown meant to draw age dumped into it each
attention to the dire condi- day. Unemployment is over
tions of Gaza. 40 percent, and among
While protest organizers young men like Shtewi, job-
voice slogans of defend- lessness is even higher, at
ing Jerusalem and return- nearly two-thirds.
ing to the lost homes of The difficult conditions
their forefathers in Israel, it have created a seemingly
is the desperation among endless pool of disaffected
young men like Shtewi that youth ready to square off
has been the driving force against the Israeli snipers
in the demonstrations. Re- over the border.
covering from a gunshot Tens of thousands of peo-
wound to his arm that sent ple have joined the gath-
shrapnel into his abdomen, erings each week. Most
Shtewi says his protest days keep a safe distance from
are now behind him and the border fence, but small
he only dreams of finally groups of young men have
finding a job. pushed to the front lines to
"I want to see peace snip off pieces of the struc-
and hope and prosperity ture with wire cutters, or
spread in Gaza when I get hurl flaming tires, firebombs
out of the hospital," he said and stones toward the Is-
from his hospital bed. raeli troops.
The Hamas-led organiz- Shtewi said he "sometimes"
ers of what they called throws stones or sets tires on
the Great March of Return fire, but most of the time he
initially billed the six-week just stands there to kill time.
protests as a call to break "The protests are a new way
through the border fence to break the boredom," he
and return to homes that said. Marwan Shtewi, 32, lies on the bed while his mother's Fatma, stands near him at the surgery's ward
of Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 16, 2018.
were lost 70 years ago dur- He said it's easy to get
ing the war surrounding Is- caught up in the excite-
rael's creation. Two-thirds of ment and try to damage been wounded. of land. He was just 21 when detectors at Jerusalem's Al
Gaza's 2 million people are the fence. But, he added, Israel accuses Hamas of Hamas seized power, and Aqsa Mosque, in response
descendants of refugees "sometimes fear over- exploiting civilians and put- under the blockade, both to the killings of two police
who either fled or were whelms me, and I hide be- ting them in harm's way by Israel and Egypt tightly re- officers.
forced from their homes. hind people because I'm encouraging them to rush strict travel through their This week's shooting was far
But most protesters say afraid of being shot." the fence. It also says the borders. more serious. As he spoke,
they are simply driven by Israeli gunfire has killed militants are using the large Shtewi scrapes by with oc- he pointed to IV tubes at-
desperation caused by a more than 110 Palestinians crowds and thick black casional work as a porter tached to his arm and
decade-long blockade im- and wounded hundreds smoke as cover to plant or day laborer. He said his asked his older brother,
posed by Israel and Egypt more since the protests be- bombs, fire at troops and dream is to immigrate to Fathi, when he would be
after the Islamic militants gan on March 30. On Mon- try to break through the the United Arab Emirates, released.
seized power from the in- day, 59 people were killed border to carry out attacks. where his family once lived. "Soon, God willing," his
ternationally backed Pales- in the deadliest day of Shtewi said he does not be- He said he hears "there brother responded. Later,
tinian Authority in 2007. cross-border violence since long to Hamas and has not are good job opportunities the brother whispered to
Israel says the blockade is a 2014 war between Israel received a cent from the there." their mother that an X-ray
needed to prevent Hamas, and Hamas. Shtewi was militant group, though oth- But for now, he said he just showed severe chest in-
which seeks Israel's destruc- among some 1,300 others er activists say they have wants to find a job that will flammation and it is un-
tion, from building up its wounded by live fire. received food or small sums provide him enough mon- clear when he can be dis-
military capabilities. With his left arm and abdo- of money to gather tires. ey to get married. He still charged.
The blockade has largely men covered in bandages, He also said that he went to lives in his childhood home Leaning against the wall,
sealed Gaza's borders, he struggled to remember the protests without telling with his parents and five the older Shtewi said the
greatly limiting the move- what happened when he his parents or fiancee be- siblings. Some of his broth- solution is clear. People
ment of people and goods was shot. cause they would object. ers are married and also need work.
in and out of the territory. "I went with the youths and "If I knew, I would have live in the home with their "When there is work, peo-
The rival Palestinian Author- was almost at the fence. barred him," said his moth- children, each family in its ple will keep themselves
ity, based in the West Bank, There was random shooting er, Fatma. "I lost my mind own bedroom. busy and we will not see all
has added to the pressure and tear gas," he said. "A and ran out of the house Like most Gaza residents, of this anymore," he said.q