Some might accept spying for the enemy under certain conditions but this very notion does not exist in Ahmed Shubair’s dictionary who considers it a betrayal and a violation of human dignity. “The struggle between death and life” was the fear that controlled Ahmed’s mind for two years but he finally took his decision to die “standing like trees.”
“Daddy in brief they asked me to spy for them. I told them I prefer to die in Gaza over selling myself at a cheap price for them and to harm my people and cause” was the conclusion of 12 hours of interrogation the 17-year-old Ahmed Hassan Shubair spent inside the Israeli intelligence room pressuring him to spy for them in return for allowing him to get needed medication or else he would return to Gaza and die there.
Ahmed could not have the surgery he needed for the last few months and passed away and with his death he proved to be an example of honesty and wrote his name in history as a loving-person for his homeland to be called the martyr of the siege.
Shubair suffered from congenital heart defects since he was born. He traveled 40 times for medication purposes yet his attempts to travel recently have been faced with Israeli permit denial after the Israeli intelligence officers failed to pressure him to work as a spy for them and thus choosing to die in Gaza over working as a traitor for the Israeli occupiers.
The story of the child was repeated with his father. The Israeli occupation tried to pressure Ahmed’s father to work as a spy for them but he refused using his son’s need for medication. Hassan Ahmed’s father replied to the intelligence officer’s offer by saying “As you care about your state I care about my country and my people.”
Hassan Shubair telling the PIC of the details of the death of his son Ahmed said “Since my son was born he suffered from four heart defects but he was always patient and hopeful that he will recover eventually. He lived his life on hope and he used to travel to Israeli hospitals from time to time to get needed medication.”
Security Check
Ahmed used to get medication in the past without facing any problem but the last two years have been difficult for him. In 2015 his journey with suffering started and the Israeli occupation officers started bargaining Ahmed to work for them as a spy making his life and the life of his family even harder.
Ahmed’s father explains “The first time the Israeli intelligence offered Ahmed and his mother to spy for them was on 22 March 2016. The Israeli occupation pressured them and offered them medication in return for spying but they refused. They were eventually allowed to travel.”
Ahmed’s father continued “After the return of Ahmed and his mother to Gaza they travelled again on 18 April 2016. The doctors set an appointment for them in September 2016 to have an open-heart surgery but when they applied for permits to have the needed surgery they were surprised to get rejection.”
Security Interview
On 10 October 2016 the parents took their sick child to the Israeli-controlled Erez Crossing to the north of Gaza to have an interview upon the request of the Israeli intelligence starting a new stage of bargaining to pressure him to get medication in return for spying for them.
During the interview which lasted for 12 hours the Israeli intelligence tore down Ahmed’s medication permit in an attempt to pressure him to spy for them and asked him questions about members in the Palestinian resistance groups and his neighbors and friends according to his mother.
The mother told the PIC with her eyes full of tears “My son refused considerable offers from the Israeli intelligence agents who left him alone for long hours to psychologically pressure him yet he was patient and sought God’s help.”
Ahmed’s mother pointed out that the Israeli intelligence officer offered her to work as a spy for them in return for allowing her son to get needed medication but she firmly refused this offer saying: “I am a house wife and I am not involved in such things and my goal is to get medication for my son to recover just like the rest of the children of the world.”
The mother recalls her son’s dream before passing away when he told her that he “wishes to live six more months to get the high school certificate.” She continued “He dreamed of becoming a heart doctor to help others like him” yet after the last interview with the Israeli intelligence all doors were shut down in his face and his health condition got worse until he passed away on 14 January 2016 after he performed the Dawn prayer and read Al-Kahf Chapter in the holy Quraan and after we chatted with each other and after he helped me with the laundry.”
A Palestinian human rights report has revealed that there is an increase in the number of deaths among Palestinians in Gaza due to entry denial by the Israeli authorities especially those planning to travel to the West Bank Jerusalem and the 1948 Territories.”
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights has revealed in statement that since the beginning of 2016 the number of Palestinians denied permits to cross the Erez Crossing to reach out to hospitals has increased with 50% to 60% of them cancer patients.
The center noted that the coordination department at the PA has received 26277 applications to get permits in 2016 16289 of which have been approved with a total percentage of 61% while 1725 were rejected and the rest are still to be considered.
