For weeks, the Gaza strip’s ruling Hamas a growing protest movement, is facing. The protesters formulate predominantly social concerns. However, political demands could be added.
In mass you should be at 30. March against the Israeli occupation protest, called on Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, the residents of the Gaza strip on Sunday. Shortly before, the Israeli army had flown air strikes on two Hamas positions. As a reaction to violent protests by Palestinians at the border fence to Israel, as the Israeli army later said. Palestinians had thrown in explosives in the direction of the border fence. One of them triggered a bomb alarm in southern Israel.
The protests against Israel on hold for months. Since its inception in March 2018, at least 258 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers died.
The demonstrations at the border fence to Israel hide another conflict that keeps the citizens of the Gaza strip in breath. In front of a good month, the movement “Bidna na'” (founded in Gaza city, “We want to live”), a merger of initially independent media activists, which quickly spread among numerous young people in the Gaza strip.
In mid-March, the supporters of the movement protested publicly for the first time. The ruling Hamas reacted immediately, security guards dispersed the protesters are violent, as well as on the Internet that is circulating on the Videos show. During and after the Demonstration, the security men arrested numerous demonstrators.
In the tear gas: Palestinian demonstrate on the border with Israel, July 2018
“Movement of the center of the population”
The movement, said a Participant to the Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera, follow the main social concerns. “It is a movement that comes from the population,” said the young woman. “People go to the streets to demand a solution, given their miserable living conditions.” Accordingly, the Slogans of the movement were formulated: “We want to live. We want to work with. Our future is lost.”
Political weight “We want to live” by the fact that around a dozen political support against Hamas-oriented groups of the movement. Their Position, they brought in a joint communiqué. The main reason for the crisis in the Gaza strip is the occupation and blockade of the Gaza strip by Israel, as well as the associated split in the Palestinian population. However, even “responsible” in the Gaza strip would do their part, to aggravate the living conditions of the people, in particular, through the survey to high taxes and duties. Also complain about the costs of a signatory to the rising standard of living.
In addition, rights and freedoms are guaranteed, so the communiqué. Instead, the people of persecution, arrest, intimidation or demonization would be exposed to. “We call on the Hamas Official in Gaza, security forces of the public roads and squares to be deducted and all from the ranks of the movement-origin detained or in prison, people who are free.”
Prepared: security forces of Hamas, March 2018
Criticism from human rights activists
Due to the protests of the Hamas is to come under political pressure. Also, the cross-party,, founded in 1993, the “Independent Commission of Human Rights” (ICHR), criticized the reaction of Hamas to the protests of the movement “We want to live”. The human rights organization criticized the “excessive use of force” by the security forces had. This would put “hundreds” – a total of over 1000 demonstrators and, in this way of the press and freedom of expression enormously restricted. In addition, the security forces had also arrested human rights defenders in the crosshairs.
The harsh actions of the security forces was addressed in the Israeli and Arab, but also in parts of the Western media. For Hamas, the damage a great image. Immediately the speaker made the internal political competition from the secular Fatah and the dominated Palestinian authority for the clashes to be responsible. These have instructed their employees in Gaza, unrest and degradation. If they did not the would have threatened the authority with withholding of salary, so the charge of the Hamas speaker to “Al-Jazeera”. “We emphasize that we support peaceful protests, but we will not accept that this can be misused to spread Chaos,” said the spokesman.
Under Pressure: Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh (Mi.)
Politicization of the protests possible
The protests come at a time of extreme economic difficulties. The Central Palestinian statistics office, according to the Arbeitslosigkeitim the Gaza strip in the year 2018 in the case of 52 percent – an increase of seven percentage points compared to the previous year and more than 20 percentage points over the Hamas takeover in 2007. Price increases of basic consumer goods, have the residents of the Gaza strip in the past few months, particularly.
Open is where the protests will lead. The Hamas, is extremely critical of opposing Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post” (JP) does not exclude, that could expand the protests, both with a view on the numbers of participants as well as with respect to the receivables. Perhaps, your conclusions might make the protesters basic claims to self-similar to those, as formulated in the year 2011 the protest movements in several Arab countries. Hamas, the JP, and was accordingly nervous.