The first Palestinian athlete to participate in the Olympic games died on Wednesday at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza as a result of kidney failure due to power outages and medical shortages as a result of the ongoing Israeli war and siege of the enclave.
Majed Abu Maraheel, who passed away at the age of 61, became the first athlete to be the flag bearer and represent Palestinians at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. Being a distance runner, he competed in the 10km race.
Since his breakthrough on the world stage, more than 20 Palestinian men and women have been able to compete at Olympic competitions.
"He was a Palestinian icon, and he will remain as such," his brother told Paltoday TV after the funeral.
"We tried to evacuate him to Egypt but then the Rafah crossing was closed (by Israel), and his condition kept deteriorating."
In his preparation for the Olympics, Abu Maraheel would often be seen on his daily runs from his home in Gaza to the Erez Crossing with Israel, which Israel closed in October after imposing a full blockade on the Strip.
Last month, it was reopened for the first time since then.
He would often have to pass through that crossing for his job as a day labourer in Israel. After participating in the Olympics, Abu Maraheel went on to become a coach for other Palestinian runners hoping to replicate his presence at the international competition.
Abu Maraheel's death highlights the grim fate of many Palestinians who are facing kidney failure in Gaza.
A report from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor in March found that there were between 1,000 to 1,500 patients in Gaza with kidney failure, and that they are facing a "slow death" because of "a lack of medical and therapeutic services, medications and other necessities".
Israel denies blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, though aid agencies say they are not able to get aid in because of Israeli restrictions.
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Zionism is nazism. How can someone watch KIDS burn and die, yet still defend a terrorist country like Israel? How? How can you be a human at this point? How are you a human? You're not.
I don't even have words to describe my rage for those who support a genocide. Fucking disgraces.
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i can’t believe this is happening… i’ve been thinking of the al-shifa siege for the past five six days and it has literally made me sick. when will this end?
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gotta say I am a huge sucker for how Adventure Time will sometimes just cut to Princess Bubblegum doing something extremely morally dubious like cutting off a tiny person’s limbs with scissors and then sticking those arms and legs onto another tiny person’s limb stumps but then she'll turn around and go like "Good morning, Finn! Are you ready for a sploinking day?" and whatever atrocities she had just been committing will Never be brought up again.
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ok hear me out—
(sue me but he was one of the only mfs in that damn place who wasn't tryna kill the player and i think we should have been able to save him. so, fix it au where y/n helps the gang escape and they live happily in a secluded house in the woods)
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