‘Hamas is stealing everything from us,’ Gazans lament

Civilians in Gaza share stories of life under Hamas, which maintains firm control over local population.

By World Israel News Staff

As Israel continues its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, dismantling terrorist infrastructure in the northern Strip and encircling terrorists in the southern Strip, the Hamas terror organization continues to maintain tight control over the roughly two million Gazans living near the Egyptian border.

According to a report by Channel 12, Palestinian Arab civilians living in the southern Strip in areas not under IDF control, Hamas regularly seizes goods sent in from abroad as humanitarian aid, even as terrorists go to great lengths to hide from Israeli forces.

Gazans living in and around the city of Rafah, on the Egyptian border, wrote to Channel 12 with details of life under Hamas post October 7th.

“The streets are filled with garbage, sewage, and filth,” one man wrote.

“There are long lines for the humanitarian aid, but it is all stolen. They have removed Hamas members more than once when they saw them in the streets.”

“Our lives have become impossible,” he continued. “All of Hamas is in Rafah.”

Civilians who spoke out said that Hamas’ leadership has been discredited among the general population in Gaza, though the group maintains tight control over Gazans, using its control of the flow of humanitarian aid to enforce its authority.

At the same time, however, Hamas terrorists work to blend in with the civilian population, even trimming their beards in an attempt to hide from Israeli forces.

“Hamas’ people have trimmed their beards and are hiding among the civilian population in order to avoid assassinations by the IDF. In the meantime they are stealing the aid.”