Gaza and the bitter harvest

In order to understand the extent of misery, suffering and the hardship which the Gazans suffer from under the rule of Hamas Islamists, you have to compare between their living conditions during the Israeli occupation from 1967 until the withdrawal in recent decades with their current living conditions.

You will see how these undesirable Islamists had turned Gaza into a place suffering from hunger, poverty and disease while Hamas and its cadres enjoy the pleasures of life. This is what an elderly Palestinian told me while commenting on the practices of those who insist to rule the Gazans with force and who do not work to serve the interest of Palestine and its people but rather to serve the interest of the Persian expansionist project.

When Iran’s mullahs provide Hamas or al-Jihad with old missiles, they know that these missile cannot confront Israel’s advanced arms and that provoking the Israeli occupier will only affect the Gazans with more bombings, worse siege, deaths and destruction. Those who pay the price are the simple Gazans and not the Islamists.

Ever since Hamas started ruling Gaza, it has been arguing with the authority in Ramallah and intentionally stirring problems to be strongly present on the internal Palestinian scene and to stand as an obstacle against any reconciliation or peace. This presence enables its leaders to serve the Persian expansionist project which exploits the idea of liberating the entire of Palestine as an excuse to expand in the Arab region.

Hamas receives instructions from Tehran, whose authorities choose not to provide it with funds but with missiles and tools of killing and destruction. As for money, Hamas makes money by using the power of its arms on the Gazans to force them to pay money in the form of taxes and fees. Hamas has not even built one hospital or school or construct a road or execute any developmental project ever since it began ruling Gaza. It uses its revenues to confront Israel which in turn directs its anger at the Gazans while Hamas’ leaders and families remain safe.

When there was unrest in Egypt during Hosni Mubarak’s era, Hamas significantly contributed to empowering the Muslim Brotherhood there. Some of its cadres attacked Egyptian prisons to release the arrested Brotherhood members. When the Muslim Brotherhood was ousted, Hamas turned Gaza into a safe refuge for their members who fled the Egyptian authorities. As a result, all crossing points between Egypt and Gaza were closed. The Egyptian authorities also tracked the underground tunnels which link Egypt and Gaza and destroyed them. Hamas intentionally opposes the Palestinian Authority’s positions to avoid holding elections in the strip because it is aware that any elections there will “dump them in the trash bin.”

Hamas consists of hired Islamist fighters whose aim is power and money. This is why they do as they are directed by those who hire them whether it’s Tehran or Doha. The Palestinian cause and the Palestine people are the least of their concerns.

I am completely certain that the Palestinian cause has no solution but peace which the Israelis reject and avoid by all means. Therefore, the practices of Hamas and al-Jihad only serve Israel at the end. That’s why it can be said that the first step which the Palestinians must take towards peace starts with getting rid of these impostor Islamists.

This article is also available in Arabic.

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Mohammed Al Shaikh is a Saudi writer with al-Jazirah newspaper. He tweets @alshaikhmhmd