Anti-Hamas Protests Expand
Hamas Operatives Enjoy High Salaries... Anger Spreads
U.S.-Israel Prepare Resident Relocation Program
On the 26th (local time), thousands of Gaza Strip residents held an anti-Hamas rally demanding a ceasefire with Israel. AP·Yonhap News
Anti-Hamas protests among Gaza Strip residents are rapidly escalating out of control. The prolonged war threatens the survival of residents, and growing dissatisfaction is largely due to the widening wealth gap between Hamas officials, operatives, and civilians. Unusually, thousands of protesters have gathered to condemn Hamas and demand an end to the war, but Hamas has been unable to disperse the crowds. Amid this situation, concerns are rising over the mass departure of Gaza residents as the U.S. and Israel initiate a relocation program for Gaza Strip inhabitants.
Anti-Hamas Protests Swell to Thousands... Public Sentiment Explodes
In the northern Gaza Strip area of Beit Lahia, around 3,000 people held an anti-Hamas protest on the 26th. Residents participating in the protest marched while shouting, "Hamas does not represent us," and "We hope Hamas collapses." Anti-Hamas protests are also spreading in Khan Yunis, a key city in southern Gaza Strip.
Previously, whenever small-scale anti-Hamas rallies were held, Hamas forces deployed the military to forcibly disperse them, but this time they have been reluctant to intervene. According to the Associated Press, citing Gaza residents, "Hamas tried to stop the protests but failed, and Hamas-affiliated armed militants were even surrounded and beaten by angry crowds."
Professor Mukaimar Abudasa, a political science expert at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, said, "Hamas is weakened after losing many senior military and political leaders," adding, "The current Hamas knows that violently chasing protesters would be a mistake." Basem Naim, a Hamas political bureau official, also posted on Facebook acknowledging "the right of Palestinian residents to protest" and stated that they would not forcibly disperse the demonstrations.
Hamas Operatives’ Salaries Ten Times Higher Than Civilians... Anger Over Widening Wealth Gap
The Hamas members standing guard at the funeral of a senior Hamas official on the 7th of last month. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.
The worsening public sentiment among Gaza residents is analyzed to stem from the fact that despite the severe hardships caused by the prolonged war, Hamas officials and operatives have monopolized wealth, exacerbating the wealth gap.
CNN reported that Hamas military operatives earn about 5,000 shekels (approximately 1,980,000 KRW) per month, nearly ten times the average wage in Gaza Strip. In October 2023, a Hamas soldier’s pay slip was discovered during the recovery of bodies following Israeli airstrikes, and its publication by local media caused a stir.
Hamas is estimated to earn around $2 billion (approximately 3 trillion KRW) annually by monopolizing taxes collected from smuggling organizations within Gaza, overseas aid funds, and support from Iran. Hamas uses these funds to maintain over 30,000 military operatives and organizations, and senior officials are believed to have accumulated significant wealth. In fact, the Israeli military found a bag containing 5 million shekels (about 1.98 billion KRW) at the residence of a senior Hamas official in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza Strip.
Criticism that Hamas monopolizes Gaza’s wealth has led to a significant drop in Hamas’s approval ratings. According to a public opinion survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in September last year, Hamas’s support rate in Gaza was 35%. This is down from 52% in June 2023, before the outbreak of the war with Israel, falling to the 30% range.
U.S.-Israel Relocation Program in Preparation... "100 Residents to Move to Indonesia"
On the 21st (local time), Indonesian citizens are protesting in front of the U.S. Embassy located in Jakarta against Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip. Photo by AP and Yonhap News.
As dissatisfaction among Gaza residents grows, a third-country relocation plan led by the U.S. and Israel is being actively prepared, raising the possibility of a mass exodus from Gaza in the future.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an organization under the Israeli Ministry of Defense, is preparing a pilot relocation program for Gaza residents. A COGAT report obtained by the Times of Israel states that a program is underway to select 100 Gaza residents to relocate to Indonesia, and diplomatic channels have been established with Indonesian authorities.
Specifically, 100 Gaza residents will be sent as the first dispatch group to Indonesia, where they will be employed at construction sites. If the first dispatch is successful, plans are to recruit thousands more Gaza residents for relocation to Indonesia. The Israeli government is reportedly negotiating with not only Indonesia but also other Islamic countries regarding the relocation of Gaza residents. Israeli authorities estimate that since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, about 35,000 residents have left Gaza for third countries.
The Gaza resident relocation policy is supported by the U.S. government. After former U.S. President Donald Trump announced in January his plan to relocate Gaza residents to third countries and develop the area into a resort, the Israeli government established COGAT within the Ministry of Defense to promote the voluntary relocation of Palestinians.
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