Gazans speak out against Hamas for the first time in 18 years
The abject desperation in the Gaza Strip is emboldening the population there. For the first time since Hamas seized power 18 years ago, they are speaking out against Hamas at great personal risk.
"Since Oct. 7 people have been blaming Hamas and recognizing Hamas started this war," Moumen Al Natour said.
A Gaza lawyer and former political prisoner of Hamas, Al Natour knows very well the risk he is taking by making public statements against Hamas.
"I would be lying if I said I was not afraid," he said through a translator. "I am afraid like any citizen living as a hostage under Hamas rule for the last 18 years. If I don't speak out against Hamas, we will certainly be exposed to something worse in the future."
While Al Natour is taking the dangerous step of speaking out – he even wrote an opinion piece published in The Washington Post – he is not entirely alone.
On March 26, thousands of Palestinians took to the devastated streets in the Northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. They chanted, "Out, out, Hamas get out" and "The people want the fall of Hamas."
A demonstration in Gaza against Hamas would have previously been a guarantee of a heavy-handed response from the terrorist organization. Now, Hamas is weakened, partially by Israeli Defense Forces, partially by the desperation of the Gazans Hamas claims to serve.
"Recently, anger has been increasing towards Hamas because the situation is deteriorating," said Al Natour.
Power has been a rare luxury in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. Video that comes from the Gaza Strip is an accurate reflection of the pervasiveness of the destruction. Al Natour told Fox News only buildings in the center of the Gaza Strip escaped the wrath of Israel's army.
Water is scarce. "Most of the water we have is dirty, unhealthy water," Al Natour said. "It's very hard to have access to clean water. The water they use for other purposes is seawater, and it's very salty. It is greatly affecting people's health over here."
Life in Gaza will only return to a healthy standard when the war ends. So, Al Natour says Gazans want to liberate the Israeli hostages. "The people of Gaza are all for the release of all Israeli hostages and sending them back to their houses. But, on the other hand, the civilians in Gaza do not have anything. They do not have the tools or any ability to help in this matter."
He also said that Gazans want an end to Hamas rule, replacing them with local leadership focused less on fighting Israel, less on political affiliation, more on providing the basics of life.
"Gaza is totally destroyed," he said. "We don't need political affiliations or political programs right now. We only want to give the people services."
The established Palestinian leadership was quick to reject President Donald Trump's proposal to evacuate and then reconstruct the Gaza Strip and call it a freedom zone. "That's a hell of a place," the president said last Monday.
Living in the destruction, Al Natour thinks Gazans could agree, even if it means leaving the coastal strip for good. "People welcomed Trump's recommendation because life in Gaza is hell, and no human being can stay in Gaza forever under these circumstances."
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