15 Years After Hamas Takeover of Gaza, Local Says He's Disappointed With The Group & Wants Them Out

Since 2007, when the Islamic group Hamas took control in the enclave, economic conditions have deteriorated. They imposed the Sharia law on the masses and have become embroiled in corruption scandals, to the frustration of the people.

It's been 15 years since Hamas, an Islamic group, took control of the Gaza Strip, ousting Fatah officials in a violent and bloody coup.

Excitement in the Air

Recalling those days in June 2007, Mohammed Zakareia, a construction worker now in his forties, says he was excited about the events that he regarded as a new dawn for the coastal enclave.

"I was a staunch Hamas supporter. For me they represented the Islamic ideology, they taught me how to be a better Muslim and a person, who can protect his country and his rights".

Zakareia's excitement was not only dictated by ideology. The expulsion of Fatah has stirred a feeling that justice had prevailed, especially because after the death of the faction's leader Yasser Arafat in 2004, the movement had become corrupt. Its cooperation with Israel has grown tighter and the general public felt that it was a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

The rule of Hamas, believed Zakareia, was destined to uproot that corruption and install a new system. "During the first days of Hamas' rule, I was extremely happy. I thought they would liberate the area. They would let people live freely. They would improve our economy."

The Harsh Reality

The reality, however, was remote from the truth. Starting in 2007, Hamas boosted the Islamisation and radicalisation process in Gaza. They stipulated a certain dress code in schools and on the streets. They put gender separation in place. The media and the education system were encouraged to spread Islamic values. Strict Sharia law was put in place. Punishments were harsh and unforgiving.

Palestinian children play in abandoned vehicles in an impoverished area in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis, on April 26, 2016.

© AFP 2023 / Mahmud Hams

On the economic front, Hamas has also failed to address the burning issues facing Palestinian society. Unemployment continued to grow, reaching 47 percent earlier this year. Poverty continued to spread, with a vast majority of the population living in dire conditions.

Those conditions have only deteriorated over the years. Part of the reason was Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza. Another factor was the Jewish state's military campaigns that have destroyed the enclave's infrastructure and left thousands of people homeless and in need of constant assistance.

"Hamas didn't do much to help those people. The group became like the second face of Fatah. We have seen their officials getting richer, while most of the population was living in poverty, unable to make both ends meet."

Public Dissatisfaction

Zakareia is far from being alone in his criticism of Hamas. If elections were held today, and the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas would not run for office, Ismail Haniyeh, the Islamic group's chief would only get 20 percent of all votes.

Other leaders of the organisation, including the ruler of Gaza Yahya Sinwar and the former head of the politburo Khaled Mishal would only receive 3 percent. The vast majority, some 37 percent of all ballots, would go to Marwan Barghouti, an independent candidate currently serving life sentence in an Israeli jail.

"If I had a choice now, I would have voted for a businessman, who would be able to improve the economic situation in Gaza, not these corrupt politicians," said Zakareia.

Palestinian militants of the Islamist movement Hamas' military wing Al-Qassam Brigades, attend the funeral of seven Palestinians, killed during an Israeli special forces operation in the Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2018, in Khan Younis

© AFP 2023 / SAID KHATIB

"The way things stand now.. with the political instability, internal divisions and constant Israeli aggression, I don't see any hope for Gaza. So the only way forward is to expel these corrupt politicians and go back to the original Hamas ideology that caters to the poor and that protects our land," he concluded.