Hamas brutality on October 7

Unlike the country’s shameful news media that blackout the news, pro-Palestinian-Hamas western media like AP, CNN, Guardian, BBC, New York Times, and even Al-Jazeera were professional enough to publish the news about the protest. In actuality, this is not the first time (and will not be the last) the Palestinians have demonstrated against the repression and oppression by Hamas.

That alone speaks volumes about the hypocrisy and double standard of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has been milking the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East for his political agenda – both to win gullible Malay Muslim votes and to support Hamas by virtue of Anwar and Hamas sharing the same ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which gave birth to the terrorist organization.

In a rare display of public anger against Hamas, thousands of Palestinians marched between the wreckage of a heavily destroyed town in northern Gaza calling for an end to the 17-month deadly and endless fighting with Israel that has made life in Gaza insufferable. Videos shared widely on social media by activists showed young men – some waving white flags – marching in the streets of Beit Lahia chanting “Out, Out, Out, Hamas Out”.

The protest erupted a day after Islamic Jihadists launched rockets at Israel, forcing the Jews state to retaliate and vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds – 24 of them believed to be alive. The Jews state is also demanding that the terrorist group gives up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile – conditions that are non-negotiable.

However, Hamas, which triggered the war when it attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 Jews and kidnapped 251, has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Of course, Hamas’ only way to stay in power is to refuse to return the remaining hostages.

To cling to power, Hamas deliberately sets conditions which it knew Israel will never agree. If the terrorist group releases all the 59 hostages, Israel will be under pressure to end the war, but it also means Hamas has zero cards to play. That explains why Hamas has been cooking up excuses not to release Israeli hostages, pussyfooting and dragging its feet for as long as possible.

However, Palestinians clearly had lost patience when Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians after Hamas abruptly suspended the release of Israeli hostages, leading to the IDF resuming its military offensive. Shaken by the Gazans’ protest, Hamas has begun cracking down on the same people whom it claims to protect.

At least six Palestinians had been brutallyexecuted, whilst others were publicly beaten. Among those killed was 22-year-old Odai al-Rubai, a resident of Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood. He had called for public demonstrations and spoken out against Hamas on social media, only to be abducted by Hamas operatives – tortured for four hours, and then returned to his family as he lay dying.

Hamza al-Masri, a Gaza-based social activist who lost an eye after being tortured by Hamas, said – “Just for asking to live, a Hamas military unit kidnapped several young men, including helpless Odai. Hours after he was taken, he was returned to his family without life. There isn’t a single journalist in Gaza who can speak about the crimes being committed here. The world has no idea what’s happening.”

Gazan influencer Mustafa Asfour revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Odai al-Rubai was “killed because he said aloud – We want to live. These are very sad moments, fueling hatred that could ignite a civil war.” One Gazan who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution said – “He was dragged by a rope around his neck, beaten with clubs and metal rods in front of passersby.”

“Hamas is demanding our people to remain steadfast. But how can we remain steadfast when we’re dying and bleeding? Hamas must stop what is happening in Gaza. We’re sending a message to the entire world: We reject the rule of Hamas” – said one man filming the protest and posting the video on X. In Khan Younis, people chanted – “Hamas is a terrorist (group).”

Masked Hamas militants, some armed with guns and others carrying batons, intervened and forcibly dispersed the Gazan protesters, assaulting several of them as people held banners saying – “Stop the war. We refuse to die. The blood of our children is not cheap”. A demonstrator, Ammar Hassan, said – “We are sick of the bombing, killing and displacement.”

Despite Hamas’ threats, mourners at Odai al-Rubai’s funeral shouted anti-Hamas slogans, including “Hamas out.” Another resident, Hussam al-Majdalawi, was kidnapped and beaten in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. He was shot in the legs and left wounded in a public square after criticising Hamas. Other demonstrators have mysteriously gone missing in recent days, as Hamas seeks to reassert control and deter further dissent.

While the terrorist group still retains control, the demonstrations showed how its hold on at least some parts of Gaza has weakened as the war took a turn for the worst after Hamas leaders like Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh had been assassinated and killed. Interestingly, some protesters in Beit Lahiya openly criticized Qatari media network Al Jazeera, saying its reports were too favourable toward Hamas.

Even though Hamas won the most seats in the 2006 legislative election, it didn’t win the majority of votes. Hamas was also opposed to a power-sharing agreement with Fatah, the political group which previously controlled Gaza, and seized power in 2007. Rights groups accuse Hamas of violently suppressing dissent, quashing protests in the areas it controls and jailing and torturing critics.

Thanks to Hamas, two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings had been either damaged or destroyed, leaving behind 42 million tonnes of rubble. Having sent Gaza back to the Stone Age, Israel shifted focus to Lebanon. From the stunning assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran to the shocking walkie-talkie and pager explosions in Lebanon, it quickly crippled the entire chain of command of Hezbollah.The targeted assassination of numerous top officials in Hamas, Hezbollah and even Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Haniyeh, Nasrallah and Sinwar was the signal of the end of Iranian’s proxies.