Lebanese play on Palestinian 'patience' raises funds for Gaza hospital
By REUTERSUpdated: MAY 21, 2018 09:03
The team behind the Lebanese theater performance "Ayyoube" has been touring the country for more than a year, but the performance on Saturday was filled with pain, director Awad Awad said.The performance depicts the life of a Palestinian woman refugee living in Lebanon. The proceeds are planned to support "Al-Awda" hospital in Gaza, where dozens of Palestinians injured during last week's deadly clashes on the Israeli borders are treated.The hospital is in a state of emergency, as it lacks much-needed medical supplies and trained doctors.The play is all about patience, said actress Mira Sidawi."This somehow refers to the Palestinian people without generalizing of course, but this picture exists. The Palestinian people are despite everything able and still patient. Patience as well could be considered as a form of resistance," actress Mira Sidawi said.Tickets for the Saturday performance were sold for $30 and $50 to support the Gaza-based hospital. Many people donated despite not attending the performance, actress Aliya Khalidi said.Organizers have raised nearly $15,000 of donations, according to Awad.Israeli forces had killed 106 Palestinians, including 15 children, since March 30, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said on Friday. More than 12,000 were injured, at least 3,500 by live ammunition.Palestinian protesters were angered by a U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which opened on May 14. The day was the deadliest since Palestinians started a protest movement to demand a right of return for refugees, with Israeli forces killing 60 protesters. Israel said the protests included attempts to breach its frontier fence.
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