Members“We’d Even Prefer Israeli Occupation”

Local residents of the terrorist-ruled enclave who spoke to Israel Today on condition of anonymity said the situation has become intolerable, and at this point, they’d even welcome a return of Israeli occupation.

“I know lots of people who supported Hamas in the past, but became disillusioned with their policies. If you look at Hamas demonstrations five or ten years ago, they had tens of thousands of participants. Now they garner only a fraction of that, so Hamas avoids big rallies. They are trying to conceal diminishing public support,” explained Muhanad, a 35-year-old Gaza resident, who added that sometimes Hamas forces entire families to participate in public demonstrations for the sake of media consumption.

Another big problem is Hamas’ mismanagement of the Gaza economy. “When referring to Gaza we often call it the ‘company,’ since Hamas runs it like a family business,” said Muhanad. “Only those close to Hamas can benefit from better salaries or privileges. Others have to scramble.”

The price of gasoline is one indicator. When Israel halted the supply of fuel in response to...