In Gaza politics and religion define every aspect of daily life and never more so than recently. As Israel retaliated for the recent suicide attacks our crew was on the streets attempting to understand what propels ever greater numbers of Palestinians towards suicide. In a school pupils abandon their lessons in tears as a gun battle erupts nearby and in a hospital mothers tend young children wounded in the last battle. In so many ways it’s the youngest in Gaza who suffer the worst but it’s also they who define the most brutal aspects of the Palestinian conflict. At a mosque, eager faced youngsters listen with rapt attention as a white shrouded fighter speaks of his wish to die. It’s a place where suicide bombers have the status of rock stars in the west. “‘I will not die because I want to die. I don’t want to commit suicide but if my body is the only weapon Palestinians have I must use it’. As the violent events of recent weeks unfolded we uncover the forces that drive youngsters in Gaza away from the secular Arafat leadership and towards the harsh extremists who reject any peace process with Israel. At a public meeting, organised by Arafat’s administration, his officials get into noisy fist-fights with one another. Set against the order and mass popularity of Hamas rallies it’s a graphic example of just how limited Arafat’s powers are.

A report by Sandra Jordan for Unreported World.

Produced by Mentorn