The economic hardship has become intolerable Hamas officials are out of touch with the people

In the last few days, economic and social protests against the Hamas authorities in Gaza have erupted again, led by the "We Want to Live" movement and online campaign. 

The campaign was first launched in March 2019 to protest the high cost of living and the unemployment in Gaza, and included mass demonstrations that were brutally suppressed by Hamas' security apparatuses. So far, the renewed campaign is largely confined to social media, but some activists warn it may soon escalate into street protests against Hamas, like the ones in 2019.

Two events in the recent weeks led to the resurgence of the protest.  One was the drowning of three Gazan migrants when their boat capsized between Turkey and Greece. The three were trying to flee Gaza due to the dire economic situation.

The second was a wave of outrage on social media about the extravagant lifestyles of Hamas officials and their families. The outrage was sparked by reports about the son of Hamas official Ghazi Hamad who had given his elder brother a luxurious honeymoon in Sinai as a wedding gift. 

Many Gazans saw this as insensitivity on the part of the Hamas leadership and as a reflection of its obliviousness to the reality of the Gazan people.

Figures close to Hamas, such as columnist Fayez Abu Shamala, rejected the claim about the dire economic situation in Gaza. He tweeted that "nobody is going to bed hungry in Gaza" and that the Gazan's economic and security situation "is better than that of most people in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Tunisia."

At the same time, Hamas is preparing to suppress the protest. According to a report on the Palestinian Al-Ayyam daily, Hamas' security apparatuses summoned campaign activists for a warning talk, and also demanded that Palestinian Left-wing movements keep their members from participating in the protests.

Picture: Logo of the "We Want to Live" campaign - Facebook