Water printing service comes to Gaza

Gaza has got its first immersion printing service

Gaza has got its first immersion printing service with Palestinian Omar Al-Asouli hoping to help people personalise their possessions and make them unique, in Gaza Strip on 4 January 2021 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Gaza has got its first immersion printing service with Palestinian Omar Al-Asouli hoping to help people personalise their possessions and make them unique.

The 27-year-old from Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, established the first water transfer printing or Hydrographics establishment after finding an alternative to the adhesive required for the process which is banned from entry into the Strip by Israel’s strict 14-year siege. The method allows designs to be printed on three-dimensional surfaces made of plastic, wood or metal.

The occupation prevents raw materials from entering based on weak security pretexts. “The Israeli occupation classified that adhesive as a dual-use material, but we managed to overcome this and succeeded by using an alternative,” Omar told MEMO.

“I can now use water transfer print technology to affix any drawings on any plastic, metal etc surface,” he added.

“The occupation imposes restrictions on us, but we always try to overcome them and find alternatives. The public was happy with this matter, and many people came to us to put stickers on mobile phone covers, car tyres and other items.”

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