But Arkub has not seen him in eight months due to the travel curbs. Israel says that the strictures are necessary to protect the security of Jewish settlers and citizens inside its borders, who have also come under attack. But Palestinians and foreign observers consider the measures a collective punishment. Economically, they have been devastating, preventing workers from getting to their jobs and making people progressively poorer. The inability to travel is also harming Palestinian youth psychologically, Palestinian health specialists say.
People feel suffocated, unable to do anything.
He added that many young people channel their energies into volunteer work, for example for the first aid teams of his organization. But in Gaza City at Gift Palace, one of six Internet cafes in the neighbourhood, youthful energy is spent creating a virtual reality. We do this by meeting new people, surfing and travelling. The computers also have become vehicles for supporting the uprising against Israel, as students use chat sessions to press the Palestinian case abroad. Abu Haya, better known in chat sessions as Friendly Man, says his chats with foreigners are often frustrating.