"Before he was killed by an Israeli drone 18 months ago at the young age of 17, Wael Mesheh was an aspiring university student who was wanted to be a successful computer programmer. But having seen five of his relatives and friends cut down by Israeli forces during almost daily raids of his northern West Bank refugee camp of Balata, the Palestinian teenager came to believe that life and death were the same, engendering a desire to sacrifice himself for the cause of Palestinian freedom,"
"Before he turned 17, Wael had been imprisoned for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, assaulted in jail, and then freed in a prisoner exchange deal. He joined the Qassam Brigades the armed wing of Hamas once he got out of prison, and was eventually killed in August 2024 while fighting Israeli troops near his home in Balata, southeast of Nablus."
"Wael's story is typical of many young Palestinians in the West Bank's refugee camps. Children learn from an early age that trauma will define their lives in ways even other Palestinians are spared. Psychologists from the West Bank told Al Jazeera young people in the camps face incessant traumatisation, and most are deprived of safety, places to play, opportunities, and a chance to escape."
Wael Mesheh aspired to study computer programming but experienced repeated personal losses and daily military raids in the Balata refugee camp. Early arrests, assault in jail, and exposure to violence contributed to a belief that life and death were equivalent, prompting him to join an armed group and later die in combat. Many young Palestinians in refugee camps endure chronic traumatisation, lack safe places to play, limited opportunities, and marginalisation within Palestinian society. Offspring of refugees face entrenched poverty, denial of return, and persistent Israeli military violence that shapes life trajectories.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]