Ordinary Gazans are bearing the brunt of the 8-month Israeli military onslaught on the territory and many blame the Palestinian armed faction for starting the war.
More Gazans have even been willing to speak out against Hamas, risking retribution.
In interviews with nearly a dozen Gaza residents in recent months, a number of them said they held Hamas responsible for starting the war and helping to bring death and destruction upon them, even as they blame Israel first and foremost.
One Gazan, Raed al-Kelani, 47, said Hamas always acts in its own interests.
“It started Oct. 7, and it wants to end it on its own terms,” said Mr. al-Kelani, who worked as a civil servant for the former Palestinian Authority government in Gaza, which was run by a rival faction to Hamas before Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
“But time is ticking with no potential hope of ending this,” he added. Mr. al-Kelani now makes meals and distributes food aid in shelters for displaced Gazans. “Hamas is still seeking its slice of power,” he said. “Hamas does not know how to get down from the tree it climbed.”
They've been beaten down and are broken. They don't want to fight anymore. They just want it to end.
Problem is, it will never and as long as Israël exists. It is their mandate to eliminate all Palestinians. Any proposal for a ceasefire is turned down by Israel. So do Palestinians really have a choice at this point?
Israel and Hamas have both proposed ceasefire deals but have not been able to agree on terms. The previous permanent ceasefire was broken on Oct 7 by Hamas.
Just FYI, there have not been settlers in Gaza for about 2 decades. The Egyptian-Israeli blockade was being gradually lifted as Hamas fulfilled it's obligations of diminished attacks and good faith cooperation.
Right, but there have been settlers in West Bank. They're still Palestinians being harmed. And life in Gaza isn't sunshine and roses for most Palestinians, either.
Palestine is Palestine, drawing lines through it doesn’t change that. Settlers terrorizing people who can’t fight back only means that people who can fight for them will do so.
EDIT: putting “Egyptian” before “israeli” also doesn't change the fact that israel controls both sides of the border.
It seems like there was never a cease fire? Israel has been firing the whole time. And before you say that most of this was in the West Bank, it is all attacks on Palestine. Just because it has been broken up doesn't make the people different and I don't think Hamas and other militant groups see this as anything other than Israel attacking Palestine. Hamas called October 7th "Al-Aqsa Flood" for a reason.
I mean if Hamas and Israel both consider it a ceasefire, let's by all means ignore that and defer to a random Lemmy user.
I'm not asking for deference, we both just found examples of continuing conflict. Why would you describe this as a ceasefire? You don't need to believe me, just use your brain.
If two people are punching each other in the face but insist they are not fighting, what do we believe: them, or our own eyes?
It is obvious. Those hypothetical people are fighting. And likewise, there was no ceasefire.