ANTI-HAMAS PROTESTS IN GAZA LEAD TO CLAIMS OF FATAH LED CONSPIRACY

Citizens of the Gaza strip have recently taken to the streets to call out the Hamas leadership of the area in regards to the dire economic condition of the region. Hamas did not take action to stop the protests initially as they believed that the Gaza citizens would be protesting Israel. Once they discovered the true nature of the protests, they sent out armed officers to disperse the crowds. Officers did so by firing live ammunition. Countless were wounded and many journalists, human rights activists, and Fatah supporters were detained. Hamas quickly asserted that the uprising was the work of Fatah leadership, as they were quick to voice their support for the protests. It is the belief of Hamas that the Fatah incited he protests in an effort to bring about an infatada that would overthrow the Hamas leadership and allow Fatah to take control of Gaza.

Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas

After the PR nightmare that Hamas suffered, they hoped that the citizens of Gaza would protest against Israel on Land Day, which they did. 40,000 Palestinians through everything from rocks to hand grenades at the Israeli border, prompting the IDF to respond with crowd dispersal methods that resulted in the death of two Palestinians and injury for roughly one hundred others.

Toameh's article leans towards supporting Fatah over Hamas. Hamas PR is referred to as propaganda and their cries of "conspiracy" are placed between skeptical quotation marks. Given the controversial history of Hamas and it's acts of terror directed at Israel, it is unsurprising that the author would side with the far more cooperative and productive Fatah. In an article for The Gaurdian, author Oliver Holmes takes a stance similar to that of Toameh's, specifically calling attention to Hamas' forceful response to the protests. He additionally makes mention of how United States President Donald Trump's cutting of Palestinian aid has been a contributing factor to the economic woes of Gaza.

Source: Jerusalem Post Article What's Happening in Gaza?