At sit-in, Gaza widows demand unpaid benefits
Palestinian widows of men killed in the 2014 Israeli war on the Gaza Strip have told the government they will escalate their protests if they do not receive their monthly benefits.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Families of Palestinians killed in Israel's 2014 war against the Gaza Strip held a sit-in March 7 outside the offices of a PLO-run foundation, the Families of Martyrs and Wounded Support Foundation, in Gaza City. The organizers of the sit-in — the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the National Committee for Families of Martyrs (NCFM) — demanded that victims' families receive their promised allowances, which they say have not been paid for political reasons.
In July 2016, protesters set up an open-ended protest camp outside the PLO foundation's office. The NCFM warned of even further escalated measures should the leaders continue to ignore them. On Feb. 28, women tried to set themselves on fire during a protest in front of the building.
Al-Monitor attended the March 7 protest, where PFLP leader Osama al-Hage Ahmed said that victims’ families have the right to receive allowances under the 2003 Basic Law, which states that "maintaining the welfare of families of martyrs, prisoners of war, the injured and the disabled is a duty that shall be regulated by law. The National Authority shall guarantee these persons education, health and social insurance.”
Ahmed said that the nonpayment of allowances would negatively impact the social and economic situations of these families, especially given the hard circumstances of life in Gaza. He said that the issue of detainees and martyrs should not be impacted by political disputes, and that senior leaders need to be pressured to expedite the payment of allowances.
