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![]() PERSONAL STORIES ![]() Right: Ihab, in a Gaza photo studio. Ihab was born in Libya, where he lived with his parents, his only brother, and four sisters. Temporary citizens of the Palestinian Diaspora, Ihab and his family had always dreamt of the day when they could return to their homeland - Palestine. After the Oslo Agreements, in 1995, the family managed to return. Ihab's eyes had sparkled at the thought. He was ecstatic to finally step foot on his land. His dream had become reality. Ihab had other dreams. He joined one of Gaza's high schools to finish his studies. Unusually for a teenager, Ihab loved to study and go to school. Those who knew him remembered how books were his closest friends. He devoured knowledge, always reading newspapers, magazines and books. Even though he was only in Gaza for a year after his return from Libya, his friends say it would be difficult to forget Ihab. Although he was calm and quiet, his conversations were filled with life. People loved talking with him. When he came back from school each day he used to do his homework and study. After that he would leave the house to meet with friends and to talk about school life and their futures. When Ihab was in Libya he used to go to a club and practice soccer under the guidance of a coach. But in Gaza, where there were no soccer grounds, he was satisfied with empty fields. In summer, during school vacation, Ihab got the chance to practice his other favourite hobbies - fishing and swimming. His fishing rod and net still hang on the wall in the living room of his house. Ihab's family cannot stop thinking about him. His little sister, 11, remembers how he used to help her with homework and how he loved playing with her. In the evenings Ihab always had stories to tell. She remembers him singing Ahwak (" I adore you with all my heart") by Abdul Halim Hafez which was his favourite song. On Thursday 26 September 1996, Ihab went to school as usual but the day was not a usual day. Clashes were carrying on between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and Ihab and his friends were standing near the school and listening to the sounds of shooting which filled the air. Three shots rang out and he fell to the ground. One bullet went through his spine, the second destroyed one of his kidneys and the third lodged in his stomach. Passers-by rushed him to the hospital. When his family heard he was injured they hurried there to find Ihab struggling between life and death. The few moments he could talk, he tried to calm his family and make it easier for them. The horrible pain prevented him from saying much more than a few words. The days after his injuries passed slowly and painfully. The family home, which had been so full of life and warmth, fell silent. Everyone thought of Ihab and his condition which was worsening because of a lack of medical equipment in the Gaza hospital. The closure of the Gaza Strip and separation from the West Bank did not make it possible to transfer him to another hospital to get the needed treatment. He remained in Gaza Hospital for more than a month. As a result of the intercession of Arab members of the Israeli Knesset, Ihab was transfered to the Israeli Tul Hashomer hospital, although none of his family were allowed to accompany him. He died a few days later on the 18th of November 1996, aged 16, without a chance to say a final goodbye to his family and friends. His mother still talks of how she had hoped he would recover and come back to the house. Ihab's great passion had always been science at school and he had hoped to become a surgeon. This was a result of his experience as a small child, when he developed appendicitis and was hospitalised for a month. Immediately afterwards, he also began to suffer from arthritis and never really recovered, always experiencing a little pain, especially during the winter. These problems made Ihab interested in learning about medicine. Aware of his own pain, he hoped that he could one day help to relieve the pain of others. Unfortunately, for him and them, this was one dream that would remain unfulfilled. Back to PERSONAL STORIES or on to the NEXT STORY |