‘I’ll Give Them Sinwar’s Head for Free’: Gazan Civilians Blame Hamas

Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid, and in many cases, they sell food that should be given for free to the public taking advantage of their desperation. 

By Shula Rosen

A widow in Gaza reads a flyer dropped from an Israeli plan with an offer in Arabic for a reward in exchange for the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

She responded, “I swear, if I knew where he was, I’d bring them Sinwar’s head for free.”

A wounded Palestinian in a hospital says to a journalist, “What’s happening is criminal! Why is the resistance (Hamas) hiding among us? Why don’t they go to hell and hide there? They are not resistance!”

Voices of Palestinians in Gaza who are angry with Hamas can now be heard thanks to the Center for Peace Communications (CPC) in cooperation with The Free Press, a media company founded by former New York Times editor Bari Weiss.

The project called “Voices from Gaza” is the second iteration of “Whispered in Gaza,” a collection of interviews with Gazans that would ordinarily be omitted by Arab news outlets which often censor or suppress criticism.

In many interviews with Palestinians, Al Jazeera journalist will often cut the conversation off if the the interviewee begins to criticize Hamas.

Also, a few al Jazeera journalists were found to have worked or had ties with Hamas.

Many of the interviews in the project disprove the assumption made by many anti-Israel protesters that Hamas is seen by Gazans as saviors and as resistance fighters working on behalf of the Palestinian People.

The head of the CPC Joseph Braude interviews Gazans about their plight, including their many fears and lack of basic necessities, however, it’s clear that many of them blame Hamas for their privation.

They are aware that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid, and in many cases, they sell food that should be given for free to the public taking advantage of their desperation.

Aid is rationed out to Hamas elite first, after that those in positions of prominence and their families and only then can ordinary Palestinians receive basic items such food.