Hamas, the Islamic terror group that has controlled the enclave since 2007, has little interest in showing that life under its rule is so miserable that many prefer to take their own lives. Plus, in a society dominated by religion, suicide is viewed as taboo.
While some say that suicides occur on almost daily in Gaza, Dr. Derdah Alshaer, an expert on sociology at Al Aqsa University of Gaza, believes it is not a widespread phenomenon. At least not yet.
“In the last three years, we heard about 16 suicides,” Alshaer told Israel Today. “Yet these numbers are not that high to consider them alarming.”
There are many reasons for this, the doctor explained: “It is a combination of dire economic conditions, poverty, unemployment, social injustice, oppression, depression caused by endless wars, tyranny and a lack of hope coupled with the dark personality of a specific person.”
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