According to the UN, Gaza’s healthcare system is on the verge of “total collapse” due to the targeting of hospitals by Israel. Amidst this crisis, one Palestinian activist has come up with a unique plan to rebuild part of the shattered infrastructure using profits from a soft drink, called Gaza Cola.
Osama Qashoo, a filmmaker, human right activist and now the creator of Gaza Cola, has launched his Coca-Cola alternative product in London, aiming to use the proceeds to rebuild al Karama hospital, which was once a key healthcare facility in northern Gaza. “It’s been reduced to rubble for no just reason, like all of these hospitals in Gaza,” said 43-year-old fizzy-drink entrepreneur.
As reported by The Guardian, Qashoo has chosen al Karama hospital for its manageability and relatively lower reconstruction costs. While he couldn’t specify the exact funding required or timeline, he emphasized the importance of dreaming and planning for the future. “We are allowed to have an imagination … we have to dream, otherwise we can’t live,” he told The Guardian. For now, a makeshift field hospital has been established using parachutes from aid airdrops.
The idea for Gaza Cola emerged in November 2023. The distinctive red can features the Palestinian flag, Arabic calligraphy of “Gaza Cola,” and a pattern inspired by the Palestinian keffiyeh, symbolizing resistance. Despite not being a fan of fizzy drinks himself, Qashoo sees Gaza Cola as a powerful message against corporate complicity in armed conflicts. “It is a statement to all these corporate companies who are investing in armed trade. Do you see what your money’s doing? Because it is doing damage. It is destroying homes and our environment … they need to wake up and they need to understand that their money, their greed, is causing our genocide,” he asserted.
Qashoo is a long-time supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, co-founding the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in 2001 and participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010. Having fled Palestine over 18 years ago after being shot, imprisoned, and tortured by occupation forces, Qashoo now resides in the UK. He recently opened Palestine House, a political and cultural hub in London for Palestinians and their supporters to gather and express their identity freely.
Coca-Cola, a target of the BDS movement, reportedly operates facilities in occupied East Jerusalem. Qashoo views the company as emblematic of large corporations indifferent to human suffering. “Coca-Cola is representative of all the big corporations who actually don’t care about the human being,” he remarked.
Boycotts of major Western food and drink companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have previously benefited local soft drink brands in the Middle East. Qashoo hopes Gaza Cola can become a preferred alternative. “If you want to drink cola and you like it, what about this one? It’s an alternative,” he suggested.
Gaza Cola has already sold over 500,000 cans, with a 24-pack priced at £30 and a six-pack at £12. The drink is being shipped across the UK and internationally, including to Spain, Australia, South Africa, and Kuwait. However, Qashoo’s friends and family in Gaza and the West Bank may not get to taste it due to logistical challenges.
According to The Guardian report, Coca-Cola declined to comment on the matter.
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