Daily Alert Archives

Some Gaza Residents Speak of Hamas's Betrayal

(Jerusalem Report) Dana Ben-Shimon - After two years of war, Gaza residents are struggling to grasp what their lives have become after Hamas's decision to attack Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Many describe the current reality as a total nightmare. The feeling of betrayal by Hamas looms large. For 17 years under its rule, Gazans were told that "resistance" would protect them and serve the Palestinian cause. Sacrifice, they were told, was sacred and worthwhile. But now, many have begun to ask: Was it worth the price? "Gaza has turned into hell, Hamas led us to this hell. Nothing is left, people have lost everything they had, and for what? What did we get out of all this? Nothing but death and destruction," said F., 60, now living in a refugee camp with his family in central Gaza. "In the moment of truth, Hamas wasn't there to help the people defend themselves. We've been misled....Failed and silly leaders have brought us to where we are today. We have to be honest. Attacking Israel was a big mistake made by Hamas....I just know that people now don't love Hamas." Hamas "still has some degree of presence in Gaza, though much less than before," said Omar, who fled with his family from Gaza City last month. "That means that people are still being cautious and avoiding messing with the group's militants or affiliates....When you walk in the streets, you can hear people cursing Hamas. Some of those who supported the movement and expressed joy at the beginning are now saying that what Hamas did was insane." Other Gazans - including some on social media - still express support for Hamas's ideology and describe the Oct. 7 attack as "the historic heroic defeat inflicted by Hamas on the Zionist entity." Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, said, "Hamas is still embedded in the Palestinian public in Gaza, and there is deep sympathy for the group and its ideology." Though Hamas has been significantly weakened, Milshtein says "it is still the dominant power in Gaza."
2025-10-09 00:00:00
Full Article