It is life-threatening for Palestinians to make critical statements about the terrorist organization Hamas. But videos of just such courageous people are increasingly appearing on the Internet.
An older woman wearing a headscarf complains about the poor supply situation in Gaza in an interview with a reporter from the al-Jazeera television channel. Surprisingly, she blames Hamas for this. Because humanitarian aid does not reach the residents. “All aid goes down,” she says, referring to the Hamas tunnels. “The aid does not reach the population,” the woman continued.
When the reporter asked if it was a distribution problem, the woman raised her hand and waved it away. “They take everything, they would rather shoot me, Hamas.”
Such statements do not go unnoticed by Israel. “The residents of the Gaza Strip have begun to criticize and denounce Hamas for what it has done to them: crimes, oppression, humiliation, fear and hunger,” Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recently told the Arab media.
NGO wants to “push back divisive ideologies”
Taking a public stand against Hamas is dangerous for the people of Gaza. But it is precisely these residents that the American non-profit organization Peace for Communications wants to give a voice. The goal is to “suppress divisive ideologies and promote a mindset of inclusion and inclusion.” This started long before the Hamas attack in October.
The NGO produced 25 animated short films, the voices of the interviewees were distorted. You can see impressions of very different people with different attitudes. For example from the musician Iyad.
Although he wants to assert himself against Israel, he rejects violence as a means. In the video he says about conditions in Gaza: “When you walk down the street, your own thoughts are taken away from you. Everything is full of photos, slogans and stories about the Hamas leadership.” Everything is permeated by Hamas and a normal city life is not possible. It feels backward and inhuman. “Palestinians have no control over their own senses when they say: ‘I am ready to die as a martyr.’”
Surveys difficult to conduct
NGO founder Joseph Braude is convinced that the majority of Palestinians do not behave as Hamas says they do. In an interview with the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ) he also refers to studies and reports by human rights organizations. “Most Palestinians want a different future than the one Hamas promises them.” Only 20 to 25 percent would actually sympathize with the terrorist group, according to Baude.
A majority is also against shelling Israel. “But not because people love Israel, but because they understand where the spiral of violence leads.”
Representative surveys are difficult to conduct in Gaza and even then only partially reliable. But it can be assumed that people’s opinions have become even more tense in the weeks following Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel. So far, about 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the attack and its aftermath, and about 240 people have been abducted to the Gaza Strip. On the Palestinian side, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health speaks of more than 15,000 deaths.
The majority supports the Hamas attack
In November, the Arab World Research and Development (AWRAD), based in Ramallah, Jordan, surveyed 668 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 100 percent of respondents said they did not feel safe in Gaza.
At the same time, a clear majority of 59 percent said they strongly supported Hamas’ attack. Another 16 percent supported the attack “to some extent.” Eleven percent said they were neither for nor against it. Only 13 percent spoke out against it. There was more support for the attack among residents of the West Bank (68 percent), where the Palestinian Authority is in charge. There are repeated conflicts with radical Israeli settlers. Gaza, on the other hand, is controlled by Hamas, and 47 percent of residents here were in favor of the attack.
65 percent of respondents also stated that they view the current conflict as a target for all Palestinians. Only 18 percent believe it is a conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The need of the people in Gaza is great. The fact that aid supplies do not reach them or only partially reaches them leads to increasing despair. On Thursday, images emerged of people demanding the release of food and other aid outside an office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in De’ir Al Balah.
Used sources:
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
