Images from the Gaza Strip show residents holding signs with messages such as “Stop the war” and “The children of Palestine want to live.” Nevertheless, the question remains whether the protests will flare up again in other areas. Despite the resurgence of protests in Beit Lahia, the past few days have been relatively quiet, and it remains unclear in which direction the protest movement against Hamas will develop.
But then an incident occurred in the central Gaza Strip that, in a certain way, hints at a shift in attitudes toward Hamas. So-called policemen from the ranks of Hamas terrorists shot and killed a young man, Abd al-Rahman Abu Samra, while he was standing in line to buy flour in Deir al-Balah. In response, relatives from the Abu Samra clan detained the Hamas policeman, dragged him aside, and executed him on the street—blood revenge.
This is undoubtedly an unusual incident, with a clan in the Gaza Strip openly confronting Hamas in broad daylight and with uncovered faces.
The family of the Hamas policeman Ibrahim issued a statement condemning his execution. They claimed that the policemen had only fired warning shots into the air—as part of their duties while securing a convoy—during which Abd al-Rahman Abu Samra was killed. The policeman’s family calls for restraint from all sides but demands revenge and insists that those responsible for his execution be brought to justice.
The Hamas police responded to the execution of the policeman in Deir al-Balah with their own statement:
“We are investigating the death of a policeman during his service, as he attempted to mediate a clan dispute in Deir al-Balah this afternoon. The police are investigating the incident to apprehend the perpetrators. We will take harsh legal measures against those responsible for this heinous crime.”
A new wave of anger seems to be erupting in the Gaza Strip, as Israel’s intense pressure on Hamas is pushing the people of Gaza into greater distress. Yesterday, Palestinians stormed a UN flour warehouse. Following the killing of the young Palestinian Saadi Sakher Hassanein by Hamas terrorists, families broke into the barracks of the UNRWA relief agency in the at-Tuffah neighborhood of the Gaza Strip and took flour sacks. Protests against Hamas are raising their heads again.
Given the violent response of Hamas to demonstrators in recent days, it is far from certain that the protests will gain momentum—even if they resurface. Moreover, they lack clear leadership. With no political alternative to Hamas, it is likely that the influence of these protests on the overall situation in the Gaza Strip and the progression of the fighting will remain limited for the time being.
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