The Electronic Intifada 1 August 2019
He goes by the stage name Sari Ibrahem and regularly uploads his songs on music-sharing platforms.
Israeli occupation forces shot Sari while he was on a trip near al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza on 22 January 2006.
Three shots to the chest, stomach and back led to a partial paralysis for which Rubaiya has still not received proper treatment.
In October 2017, Rubaiya says he met the Palestinian Authority’s de facto prime minister at the time, Rami Hamdallah, at a youth program in Gaza City’s al-Mashtal hotel. He says Hamdallah promised him that the PA would pay for his treatment in Germany.
Despite being given an official document in August 2018 confirming this, Rubaiya says nothing has been done.
Video by Amjad Ayman Yaghi, Yousef Mashharawi and Ahmed Abu Hatab.
Thumbnail image by Mohammed Al-Hajjar.
