This World

The Tea Boy of Gaza (2006x10)

Air date: Oct 03, 2006

Mahmoud is a 12-year-old boy who supports his family by selling tea in Gaza's biggest hospital. He struggles to make a living on the wards and has to avoid the shoot-outs that occur inside the hospital itself. Filmed before and during the recent Israeli re-occupation of the Gaza Strip, this observational documentary uses Mahmoud's experiences, as well as remarkable access inside the Hamas prime minister's office, to show the reality of life under the new Hamas government. Gunmen, policemen and various "security forces" all patrol the hospital seeking to protect their own injured comrades. "I told them many times to leave... they refuse," says surgeon Dr Jomma Al Saqqa, who believes working among the militants is fraught with risks. Each group uses its muscle to try and get preferential treatment, and the doctors bear the brunt of their threats. Mahmoud's business is rapidly shrinking. None of the doctors and nurses have been paid since the election of Hamas in January, at which point the international community suspended $1bn (£584m) in aid to the region. The borders of the Gaza Strip have been sealed and trade suspended, meaning food and fuel are becoming scarcer and increasingly expensive. Mahmoud has to pay almost double for his tea leaves, but his profits have been cut in half. "I hate politics," he says.