GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Qatari businessman has pledged to cover marriage expenses for 50 Gaza young men every year indefinitely.
Member of the Higher Council of Youth and Sports in the Gaza Strip Abd al-Salam Haniyeh, son of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, told reporters Saturday that Ali al-Sadah, a businessman from Qatar, pledged to pay for 50 marriages in the coastal enclave every year.
The generous donation, said Haniyeh, would be a serious relief for young men who have been suffering from dire economic conditions in Gaza since Israel imposed a crippling siege on Gaza about 8 years ago.
The blockade — which stops almost all imports and exports — has ravaged Gaza’s economy and made the tiny coastal enclave dependent on international aid.
Economic conditions were further weakened by the destruction caused during Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2014. UNRWA has so far only received $135 million since donors in October pledged $5.4 billion to Gaza for reconstruction.
The Hamas movement has organized mass weddings in the Gaza Strip several times using donations from Qatar and other donors. The move was meant to reduce wedding costs which have been on the rise in Palestine.
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