The people of Gaza are suffering so much that many would prefer imprisonment in Israel to life under the cruel Hamas regime.

Recently, Israeli police have seen a marked increase in the number of young adult and teenage Palestinians in Gaza approaching the border with Israel. However, rather than attempting to commit terror, they hope to be arrested.

Bizarre as it may sound, it actually makes a lot of sense. Even with the harsh realities of prison, incarceration in Israel is preferable to the living conditions in which many residents of Gaza find themselves. Prison provides shelter and food as well as other amenities. This is because Israel is a humanitarian nation.

According to an article published by the Gatestone Institute, Palestinian news site Al-Watan Voice interviewed two young men who attempted to cross into Israel. Their reason? They believed that it would be more comfortable to live in an Israeli prison than under Hamas in Gaza.

One of the boys never did make it into Israeli territory, having been wounded by the IDF in the security buffer zone on the border. The other managed to cross over but was sent home after being detained for three months. He indicated in the interview that the conditions in the Israeli prison were so much better than at home and that he was “sad to be back in Gaza,” adding that his father, who had worked in Israel at one time, had told him that it was beautiful there.

Hamas – Not Israel – Responsible for Desperation

One might to ask why anyone in his right mind would prefer prison to poverty. For some in Gaza, the situation is desperate. But lest one think that it’s Israel’s fault, as the mainstream media might lead us to believe, let’s look at the current situation in Gaza.

Back in 2007, Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip. Not only did the terrorist leadership incite people to violence against Israel, often under threat of death, but they also began launching rockets at Israeli communities relentlessly. That, combined with a marked increase in terror, culminating this past summer with the death of three teenage boys in Gush Etzion, sparked a war between Gaza and Israel and Operation Protective Edge.

Israel attempted to take down the infrastructure of Hamas in Gaza, which necessitated the destruction of many buildings that Hamas had been using to store weapons, fire rockets and launch other offensives against Israel.  The result was significant destruction in certain parts of the Strip.

But that is not all. After the war, Israel agreed to help rebuild Gaza if certain conditions were met. Hamas, instead, is rebuilding its terror infrastructure.  Worse, much of the financial aid that the world gives to Gaza never reaches the people. Hamas is pocketing the money while the people of Gaza suffer.

Author: Penina Taylor, United with Israel