Protest: In a rare public show of discontent with the Gaza Strip’s Hamas government, thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday (July 30) seeking attention to severe power outages and difficult living conditions.
Chanting “what a shame”, hundreds of people joined the marches in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis, and other locations, and burning Hamas flags in one place. The police soon after moved in and dispersed the gatherings.
The mobile phones of those who were filming in Khan Younis were destroyed by the police. According to the witnesses, several arrests were made.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher”, or “the mocking virus”.
However, it was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas had seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which prompted Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory.
Israel's stance
According to Israel, the closure is the need to prevent Hamas, which is an Islamic militant group that does not recognise Israel's right to exist, from flourishing its military capabilities.
The closure has shattered Gaza’s economy, resulting in an increase in unemployment and leading to frequent power outages.
The people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand during the current heatwave.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
The crowds also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly USD 15 fee from monthly USD 100 stipends given to Gaza's poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
(With AP inputs)
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