Rifts between Gazan civilians and the Hamas leadership, and increasing public criticism of the organization

Overview^[1]

• Between November 23 and December 1, 2023, there was a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, achieved through Qatari and Egyptian mediation. Its objective was to return hostages to Israel and bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The Gazan civilians took advantage of the ceasefire to stock up on food and other necessities. Some of them returned to their homes in Gaza City and in the northern Strip to examine the condition of the houses, try to retrieve personal equipment and rescue casualties from under the rubble.
• It was the first time the Gazan civilians were exposed to the extent of the destruction and the enormous damage caused to homes and infrastructure. Many victims who were considered missing were found dead under the ruins of the houses and a large number of funerals were held. Meanwhile, local residents were forced to stand for hours in long lines to receive sacks of flour at UNRWA centers, and to wait in line for hours to fill cooking gas balloons. They also waited for hours at gas stations to refuel their vehicles, after gasoline was delivered to the Strip through the Rafah Crossing during the temporary ceasefire, although in amounts that did not even begin to fill the need.
• The resumption of fighting at the end of the temporary ceasefire, the expansion of IDF activity to the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip, the high number of casualties and the renewed constraints compelling the residents, some of whom came from the northern Gaza Strip, to move from the Khan Yunis area to Rafah, increased criticism of Hamas. The civilians criticized Hamas and its leadership for exploiting the residents of the Gaza Strip and accusing the organization of destroying the Gaza Strip, destroying their lives and stealing the humanitarian aid which was delivered through the Rafah Crossing and meant for the local civilian residents.
• The regular monitoring of Palestinian media and social networks reveals an increase in public criticism of Hamas and its leadership (particularly Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip), compared to the period before the ceasefire.^[2] However, the criticism is not public or organized, but it is still criticism voiced mainly by individuals on the social networks and sometimes on local television channels, who in most cases are silenced by the interviewers. Many of the interviewees are not identified by name and sometimes only a voice is played and it is not clear who is speaking.
• Apparently, as IDF attacks expand and deepen in the southern Gaza Strip, and Hamas suffers serious military and governance setbacks, for the time being it continues as the governing factor and no organized factor has so far arisen to challenge its rule. However, it seems that as the distress and hardships of the Gazans increase, weakening Hamas’ ability to control them, they will be more daring in voicing criticism of Hamas and may take practical action against it.

Further Information

Criticism of Hamas in the media

• The Palestinian Authority’s Wafa TV interviewed residents and evacuees from Khan Yunis who left the city for the Rafah area. One of them (below, right) angrily claimed that they had been forced to evacuate Rafah to a place where there was no water, food or showers. He wondered why “they” [Hamas] were doing it to them. “Hamas, protect the people!” he said. Another resident (below, left) who was riding in a horse-drawn cart, shouted “May Allah  disgrace the honor of Hamas and al-Sinwar” (Wafa YouTube channel, December 6, 2023).

   
Residents and evacuees making their way from Khan Yunis to Rafah criticize Hamas and Yahya al-Sinwar (Wafa YouTube channel, December 6, 2023)

• Radio Alam, which broadcasts from Hebron, aired an interview with residents of the Gaza Strip who criticized Hamas and its leadership. One of the interviewees cursed Yahya al-Sinwar and claimed, “You destroyed us.” He said, “the Palestinian civilians speak without fear because they now know that death is everywhere, the leaders of Hamas must pay attention to the Gazans to protect what is left of the Gazan people and end the useless war.” He spoke of the civilians’ difficulties after they moved from Khan Yunis to Rafah, and emphasized that the Hamas leadership did not care. Another interviewee appealed to Yahya al-Sinwar in distress, saying there was no food or water and the number of evacuees was increasing, while there are 20,000 people in one school. He called for help for the children and expressed fear of epidemics spreading among the citizens (Assaf Mustafa’s X account, December 6, 2023).
• Al-Hadath TV, an Arab channel, played a recording of a Palestinian evacuee, which was originally broadcast on the local radio, who claimed Hamas had destroyed them and that everything happened because of al-Sinwar. He said they had gone from Gaza City to Khan Yunis and from there to Rafah. He said Hamas stole humanitarian aid meant for the Palestinian public, adding that the Hamas leadership, including al-Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, were underground and did not care about what was happening [to the Gazans above ground]. He also appealed to al-Sinwar to release the hostages (al-Hadath TV, December 6, 2023).
• Ahmed Rifat Muheisen, an evacuee, was interviewed by QudsN channel TV, a Palestinian TV channel, from the tent camp of the evacuees in western Rafah, and complained that at night it rained on them. He complained there was no [central] entity in the Gaza Strip, not even a governmental entity [i.e., the Hamas administration] taking care of them. No one, he said, gave them answers about their situation (QudsN X account, December 6, 2023).

• The American satellite Alhurra network broadcast a video of a Palestinian sheltering in al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, after members of her family were injured in an IDF attack. She shouts [at Hamas] to end the war in Gaza, stating that enough is enough, they do not want more destruction or a prisoner exchange deal (Alhurra TV X account, December 4, 2023).

Criticism of Hamas on social networks

• Surfers on social media, some of them with several thousand followers, all of them Gazans, began to upload posts condemning Hamas and its leadership, and especially Yahya al-Sinwar. They specifically criticized the suffering of the Gazan civilians, the leadership’s insensitivity to the population, the holding of the hostages at the expense of the needs of the population, the cruelty of Hamas and the fact that its operatives steal the humanitarian aid meant for the residents of the Gaza Strip:
  • Kareem Jodha (4,300 followers) posted a quote from senior Hamas terrorist Osama Hamdan, which read, “Gaza was and will continue to be a cemetery for invaders and occupiers.” Jodha replied, “True, it was, but people like you turned it into a cemetery for its residents and genocide” (Kareem Jouda’s Facebook page, December 4, 2023).
  • Ghattas (1,012 followers) wrote, “When the war is futile and the defeats taste like massacres, retreat is courage, admitting defeat is chivalry, and the one who preserves the blood, honor and livelihood of the innocent is the winner. That is of course part of the morality of “the knights,” however, insane al-Sinwar and the other leaders of the tunnels and the Hamas Muslim Brothers who live in fancy hotels are not among them” (@Moraqeb2020 X account, December 4, 2023). He attached a photo of Yahya al-Sinwar.

• • Ghattas also retweeted a tweet by a Saudi journalist, who wrote, “With all the destruction and killing, where are Yahya al-Sinwar, Mashaal and Haniyeh, where is their offer of protection for their people? Maybe they enjoy the torture and bloodshed, as is the custom of the Muslim Brotherhood? Where is the wisdom of the leader and his compassion for his people? The world will not stand with you, because on October 7 you foolishly gave your enemy the chance to go down in history. So be brave and take action to stop the killing of your children and women Are the lives of some Israelis you bargain for more valuable than the lives of your own civilians?” After that he added, “Hamas is not only an armed movement, but a movement of seats [of power], rule and money. History has taught us that the Muslim Brotherhood does not leave the seat of power unless they and those who rule them are [forcibly removed], and Gaza will be no exception” (@Moraqeb2020’s X account, December 4, 2023).
  • Naama Hassan (7,431 followers) wrote that “Displacement and death will not stop unless the war stopped. The war in Gaza has to stop. The lives of the people of Gaza are more important than all your negotiations and demands. Share our demands, we have the right to choose life” (Naama Hassan’s Facebook page, December 2, 2023).
  • Amjad Abu Kush (6,387 followers) wrote, I hope that in a future prisoner exchange deal we will not see another dog being carried by an Israeli captive. It will hurt our hearts that he and the dogs that protect him are safe underground, while their people are being destroyed now. #Open_the_shelters, #Open_the_tunels, and #lead us to al-Sinwar, take our children somewhere safe, as the released hostage was told” (Abu Kush’ Facebook page, December 1, 2023). He added that whoever wants to create a flood must first build a ship to save his people, and not a submarine to save himself (Amjad Abu Kush’s Facebook page, December 5, 2023).
  • Marwan Abu Sharia wrote: “Protect us! If Hamas sees itself as the ruler, it must protect the homes of the displaced from thieves. The dogs stole from us” (@elthwrah X account, November 27, 2023).

• • Hani al-Hassan posted a video of a man wearing a yellow vest putting a tray of food in front of a child and then walking away with the tray in his hand. Alhassan wrote that Hamas members are seen in a shelter for the displaced, photographing a child they offer a meal to and then take it from him even though he reaches out to take it (@Hanialhasn1999 X account, November 27, 2023).

Accusations that Hamas takes control of humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians

• One of the common complaints in interviews and on social media is that Hamas takes control of the humanitarian aid intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip.
  • For example, al-Jazeera TV broadcasting live from the Gaza Strip, interviewed a Palestinian woman who spoke out against Hamas and claimed the humanitarian aid delivered the Gaza Strip did not reach them and that everything went “to their houses” [of Hamas]. Everything, she said, “went down” [i.e., to the underground tunnels where they hide]. She told the reporter that Hamas would take her, shoot her or do whatever they want. According to her, the people had begun to tell the media the truth (Muhammad Imad’s X account, December 6, 2023).

• • A Gazan woman complained about the situation and appealed to the world to send them aid, demanded it be delivered to reliable people because Hamas took everything, humiliated them and laughed at them before they gave them anything. She said she searched all day and begged to bring food for her little son. She said they were tired of life and appealed to Allah to punish those responsible for their situation (Hada Janat’s X account, 35,000 followers, December 7, 2023).

• • Ghattas published a video showing Palestinians trading in food products that arrived as humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He wrote Hamas clearly traded aid in large volumes, and was trying to collect as large an amount as possible before the final chapter [of the war] (@Moraqeb2020 X account , December 4, 2023).
  • An X account representing itself as a Gaza news site (252,400 wrote, “Shame on what is happening in Gaza! Aid is delivered to Gaza for free, so why is it sold to civilians?!! The civilian has lost his home, his job and literally everything, and he has no money to buy aid that is originally given for free!! If it doesn’t stop, we will expose them by name” (@MyPalestine0 X account, November 26, 2023); it was retweeted 546 times.
  • Yusuf (3,555 followers) wrote that the humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip was free and they bought it at very high prices (@elthwrah X account, November 27, 2023). Yusuf deleted the tweet and stated that he did it to keep his head (@CULERJOO X account, November 26, 2023).

• The IDF spokesperson in Arabic also published a video documenting Hamas operatives beating residents in the Shejaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City and stealing their food supplies. The Hamas operatives transfer the food from the horse cart to the white pickup (IDF spokesperson in Arabic, December 9, 2023)

^[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications. ↑
^[2] For further information, see the November 18, 2023, ITIC report, "The price Gazans pay for criticizing Hamas." ↑

Related Articles