By Randa Darwish
Fierce clashes have erupted between Palestinian demonstrators and Hamas forces who have begun a crackdown against demonstrators who are protesting the latest hike in prices and taxes in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It all started on Thursday when Palestinian university students and social media activists in Gaza formed a new popular group to organize the protests. It comes in the context of ever-deteriorating living conditions in the Strip that have been besieged by Israel for more than 10 years now.
The group called “بدنا نعيش” [We Want to Live] have gone into protests for the third day on Saturday, however, the Palestinian faction ruling the Strip since 2007, Hamas, has deployed its forces in the main streets and public squares of the Strip in addition to detaining activists voicing opposition to their ruling.
Meanwhile, all the Palestinian factions and political powers; including Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas’ party, have issued a statement urging Hamas to withdraw its forces from Gaza streets and to release the detained protesters and activists.
Amid media blackout by the most prominent media outlets in the Middle East, the anti-Hamas protests have been reported widely by Israeli media and the Palestine Authority-run news agencies in the West Bank.
Social media activists from Gaza have been using their accounts to post photos and videos reporting Hamas’ oppression of civilians on the ground in Gaza.
Calls for a civil disobedience and a general strike have been also taking place around Gaza, however, many have feared the consequences they might face by Hamas forces.
Using hashtag #بدنا_نعيش [We Want to Live], Gazans went to post the names of the detained protesters with hopes to pressure Hamas into releasing them.
Translation: “My brother, Amer Balousha has been detained by Hamas security forces since Saturday evening.”
Translation: “More than 40 people from El Buhaisi family have been detained since yesterday and their whereabouts are still unknown. Would you tell us where are our children? [40 names of detained protesters].”
Translation: “Police arrested the two human rights activists; researcher Khaled Abu Sbeitan, lawyer Sameer Manameh from Mizan Center for Human Rights, Sabreen Tartour from the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Fadi Abu Ghanimeh from the Palestinian nongovernmental organization Addameer.”
Several videos have also emerged from Gaza on what activists have reported as Hamas forces breaking into homes of protesters and arbitrarily detaining them.
Translation: “By the way, the Hamas forces attitude and behavior is not something of orders they receive, this is how they were raised in mosques, unfortunately. It is based on accusing the other of atonement. I just want to know why would the Hamas militant hit the car at the end except that it reminded him that he does not have money to shave or even to get his child milk.”
Another video of Hamas forces attacking civilians in the street has also been widely shared.
Translation: “Gaza. Hamas forces oppressing people in streets. (Let loose your dogs,
On our streets
And Lock us
In your prison cells. [Famous Arabic Poem called Erect your Forts]."
