Nothing to Lose? Gazans Vent Anger Against Hamas in Rare Twitter Campaign

In 2021, the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip saw a dramatic spike, reaching 59 percent, compared to 43 percent five years earlier. Unemployment is also high and Gazans have been pinning the blame not only on Israel, but also on the Islamist group that has been running the enclave since 2007.

A rare phenomenon can be seen in Gaza nowadays. Young people are taking to Twitter and other social networks to protest against Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the enclave.

Using the hash tag #خطفوا غزة, or "they kidnapped Gaza", locals are saying they are tired of Hamas' rule, which has been in place since 2007.

"Hamas has turned the poor people of Gaza into its milking cow to fund its rule", wrote one tweep, referring to monthly cash injections given to the Islamist group by Qatar that are aimed at easing the suffering of the impoverished local population.

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© Mohamedbzour/twitter

Another wrote: "The most authoritarian countries that restrict freedom of opinion and expression have not imposed such restrictions as those imposed by those, who #kidnapped_Gaza. If they could restrict minds, they would bind them too".

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© 𝐖𝐚𝐟𝐚 𓂆/twitter

Nothing to Lose?

Rami Aman, a local peace activist who recently escaped the Strip after being tortured by the Islamist group, says he has been monitoring the situation closely and has been in touch with many young people who dared to reject the rule of Hamas.

Until recently, Aman was also one of them. After 2011, with the outbreak of the Arab Spring protests that swapped the Middle East, he was active on social media networks, arranged virtual meetings between Palestinians and Israelis, and engaged in several protests against Hamas under the banner "We Want to Live".

However, those protests were met with an iron fist from the Islamist group. Scores were beaten and arrested, something that only contributed to the general feeling of fear among the masses and subdued their resistance.

For years, Hamas has managed to maintain that relative quiet. Despite that, Aman says people are now waking up.

"People in Gaza have always been venting anger against them. We staged demonstrations in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019 but the media -- that's controlled by Hamas -- didn't cover them", Aman said over the phone.

Palestinian children pose for a photo at the Jebaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 14, 2015.

© AP Photo / Adel Hana

"Today it is different. People are active on Twitter, where it has become easy for them to voice their anger and concerns. And people are less afraid because they feel they have nothing to lose", he added.

In 2021, the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip saw a dramatic spike, reaching 59 percent, compared to 43 percent five years earlier.

Unemployment has also been a major problem, with almost half of the Strip's population remaining jobless.

The dire economic situation has prompted a number of social problems, including drug abuse, crime, domestic violence, and divorce. Hamas has traditionally pinned the blame on Israel, its tight blockade of the enclave, and the wars it has been waging.

A senior official of the group argued his movement was doing its best to cope with the pressing issues, but for ordinary Gazans, the deeds of the Hamas government are too little and far from enough. Now they demand change.

Will There Be a Change?

Aman says he knows that that change will not come from violent protests like in many countries across the Middle East. The reason for this is the fact that Gazans lack any support.

"People in Gaza cannot rely on an army that would come for their rescue because they simply don't have one. Nor do they have enough weapons and they know that Hamas and its allies can easily subdue them".

To see a change, says the activist, Gazans will need to find a political solution but that, in its turn, is hard to reach.

Hamas supporters take part in a protest against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to postpone planned parliamentary elections, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 30, 2021.

© REUTERS / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Last year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled legislative and presidential elections, after his Fatah party failed to reach an agreement with Hamas and other factions.

However, Aman says that even if these elections had taken place, they wouldn't have brought about the much needed change.

"All these leaders are corrupt, and people don't trust them. This is why we need the change to come from within. We need a new generation of leaders, a new party and that will eventually bring Gazans hope for a better future".