GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A few years after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, a new phenomenon emerged. Every now and then, a roadside billboard would be erected, expressing gratitude to a country or figure for providing financial of political support to Hamas, or even funding for a project in the Gaza Strip.
This month, a new series of billboards appeared in Gaza, erected by a local nongovernmental organization, the Palestinian Center for Human Perseverance, which is run by Jalila Dahlan, wife of the dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, who resides in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The billboards feature photographs of Emirati princes and express thanks to them for paying for a wedding ceremony for 400 young men and women from Gaza, scheduled for April 4.
The billboards feature photos of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Supreme Cmdr. of the Armed Forces Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They read: “Thanks to the UAE, joy will come upon the Strip.”
Just last month, billboards commemorated the 36-year anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, featuring a photo of Al-Aqsa Mosque alongside the flags of Palestine, Iran and Hezbollah. They read: “Congratulations to the Tehran-Jerusalem Axis. 36 years of pride and independence.” The billboard did not bear the signature of any party.
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