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Gazans Say Hamas's Tyranny Must End

(Washington Post) Moumen Al-Natour - With nothing left to lose, many of us Gazans in the past week have taken what little power we have to protest in the streets against Hamas, the group that has dictated every aspect of our lives for 18 years. Our message is clear: The people of Gaza want to live, so Hamas must go, the hostages taken from Israel must be released, and this war must then finally come to an end. Thousands of Gazans have joined the protests so far, and I believe we represent the sentiment of a large majority of people who have long been too afraid to stand openly against Hamas. Some in the West will doubtless be confused to see Palestinians openly calling Hamas terrorists, after many protesters in Western cities openly supported Hamas. Take it from someone who has lived under Hamas since age 11: To support Hamas is to be for Palestinian death, not Palestinian freedom. Hamas is killing us - through war, poverty and extortion - not liberating us. On top of its oft-employed strategy of using civilians to shield its fighters and launching rockets next to our shelters, Hamas has, throughout this war, systematically stolen and resold humanitarian aid, profiting from our hunger. There is no freedom of thought in Gaza, let alone freedom of speech or belief. Torture and murder are credible threats, and there is literally nowhere to run if you are on a Hamas list. I have the scars to prove it, having been arrested and tortured multiple times. When this war is over, some Palestinians will want to stay in Gaza and rebuild, while others will want the chance to leave. Some will want to continue the struggle against Israel, but many others like myself hope to find a new way forward for us and our families. None of these choices are possible as long as Hamas remains in power. If our movement succeeds, not only will it end this war - it will also prevent the next one. The writer, a Gazan lawyer, was co-organizer of the 2019 "We Want to Live" street demonstrations and a former political prisoner of Hamas.
2025-04-01 00:00:00
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