HAMAS LOSING SUPPORT OF GAZANS

Gaza’s war-weary population is growing increasingly frustrated with the fruitless cycles of ceasefire talks, as a new poll of Palestinians shows support for Hamas dwindling in the enclave.

Months of diplomacy between Israel, Hamas and mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have failed to produce agreement even on the outline of a deal that would stop the fighting and free Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The back and forth, as the death toll from the war mounts and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip deteriorates, is fuelling unprecedented public discontent in Gaza with the militant group that seized power there almost two decades ago.

“Hamas drove the bus to the edge and lost control,” said Omaima Abu Eida, a 58-year-old Gaza resident. “They are not negotiating for us, they are negotiating to stay in power after all this devastation.”

“Our leaders, Hamas, the Arabs, they watch us on TV from their hotels. “(They) do not know what it’s like to run for your life, hungry and barefoot.”

Support for Hamas as rulers in Gaza has fallen to 46 per cent from 52 per cent in three months, a survey of more than 700 residents shows. In the West Bank, the trend is reversed, with 71 per cent of Palestinians surveyed supporting Hamas’s continued rule, up from 64 per cent in the previous poll, by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research.

The Hamas military leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is calculating that more fighting and more Palestinian civilian deaths work to his advantage, messages he has sent to ceasefire mediators and Hamas colleagues show

The survey was held place at the end of May, before an Israeli operation to rescue four hostages left 274 Palestinians dead and 700 injured at the weekend, according to Palestinian health authorities. The Israeli military said about 100 Palestinians were killed or wounded, including Hamas militants and civilians caught in the crossfire

In response to the rescue operation, Hamas has hardened its negotiating stance, adding new terms that Israel can’t accept to an Israeli proposal presented by US President Joe Biden two weeks ago.

The militant group said in a statement on Thursday AEST that it had shown the “required positivity” to reach an agreement that “meets our people’s just demands, including a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the territory, return of displaced people, reconstruction and a serious prisoner exchange deal”.

Israel and Hamas have haggled for months over fundamental differences in a familiar playbook that has ended each time in a collapse of talks. Hamas wants a permanent stop to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces in exchange for the hostages it is holding in Gaza. Israel has said it won’t leave Hamas intact in the enclave and needs its hostages back before the war is declared over.

Hamas has typically cracked down on public dissent in peacetime. But with Hamas personnel largely gone from the streets, public criticism of the group inside Gaza is growing. At the same time, fear of retribution from Hamas for voicing criticism of the group is ­diminishing, locals say.

Nu’man Hamouda, a 23-year-old accountant, said he had lost nine relatives, several friends, his job and home during the war.

“If Hamas and Abbas heard our screams they will be the ones to end this now, unite and say they surrender,” he said, referring to Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.

The current level of public criticism of Hamas is unprecedented, stemming from the perception that Hamas is detached from the everyday suffering of Gazans, said Mkhaimar Abusada, associate professor of political science at al-Azhar University in Gaza and now based in Cairo.

Polls show a majority of Israelis prefer a deal to release hostages and end the war over continuing hostilities against Hamas.

The Wall Street Journal