Aed Abu Amro (; born 1999) is a young Palestinian from Zeitoun, Gaza in the blockaded Gaza strip. He became an iconic figure when a powerful image of him, taken by photojournalist Mustafa Hassona during the Great March of Return protest in Gaza on 22 October 2018, went viral and became a symbol of Palestinian resistance. The image was compared to the 1830 painting Liberty Leading the People. However, while some interpreted the imagery as a representation of a biblical David versus Goliath, some considered the depiction to be a celebration of violence, and others saw a romanticisation of Palestinians oppression.

Background

Israeli blockade on Gaza 

The blockade of the Gaza Strip is an ongoing land, air, and sea blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt on the Gaza Strip since 2007. The blockade has severely limited the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory, leading to a humanitarian crisis that has had a devastating impact on the population of Gaza. The blockade has been the subject of international criticism and has been condemned by numerous human rights organizations for its detrimental effects on the civilian population. The blockade has also been a major source of tension between Israel and the Palestinians and has contributed to the ongoing conflict in the region.

Aed Abu Amro 
Aed Abu Amro, a Palestinian from the Zeitoun in the blockaded Gaza Strip, was born in 1999 and has known only occupation, blockade, and war. He has lived through the second intifada and three all-out Israeli military assaults on Gaza, as well as the 12-year Israeli-enforced blockade that has left Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Abu Amro was 15 during the last war on Gaza in 2014. He has been a regular participant in the weekly "Great March of Return" protests, which began in 2018 and called for an end to the 12-year Israeli blockade on Gaza that has left Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, and the right for Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral homes.

Picture 

The photo was taken by Mustafa Hassona during the Great March of Return protest in Gaza on 22 October 2018, and it went viral shortly after its creation. The picture shows Abu Amro bare-chested, holding a Palestinian flag and wielding a sling over his head. He appears to be standing in front of a cloud of smoke, and the intensity of his gaze and the determination in his posture have made the image a symbol of the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice. Abu Amro became an iconic figure went viral and became a symbol of Palestinian resistance. The image was compared to Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix which depicts the French July Revolution of 1830.

However, while some interpreted the imagery as a representation of a biblical David versus Goliath, others considered the depiction to be a celebration of violence, as some reports have referred to Abu Amro as a "Palestinian extremist" and linked him to riots on the boundary between the Hamas-run statelet and Israel's southern frontier. Others expressed that the oppression of Palestinians is not something that can be romanticised or viewed through a poetic lens, as the reality of life in Gaza is one of constant suffering and loss, and it is important not to lose sight of this harsh reality.

Aftermath 
Abu Amro was reportedly shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper during a demonstration in the Gaza Strip in November 2018 while participating in a demonstration in support of a Just Future For Palestine Flotilla that set sail to challenge Israel's naval blockade. Despite being wounded, he was seen being carried away on a stretcher by medics while holding the Palestinian flag and making the sign of peace.

See also 

 Faris Odeh – a Palestinian boy shot dead by the Israel Defense Forces while throwing stones

References

1999 births
2010s photographs
Photographs of protests
2018 in art
2018 works
2018–2022 Arab protests
2018 protests
People notable for being the subject of a specific photograph
Living people