Before Gaza war: Life under Hamas oppression
In the claustrophobic enclave of Gaza, life for its two million inhabitants became a protracted ordeal under the suffocating rule of Hamas.
Ever since it seized power in 2007, the terrorist organization exerted its despotic influence over the territory, deploying an arsenal of coercion and relentless indoctrination to crush dissent and mold minds.
The streets of Gaza echoed with the silent cries of oppression. The air was thick with unspoken fear, as every corner, every alley and every home fell under the vigilant eyes of Hamas operatives. This was not merely a political regime; it was an omnipresent force that pervaded every aspect of existence, transforming a once lively community into a cage of submission.
Young children in Gaza were ensnared in the Hamas web. Schools were factories of propaganda. The curriculum is not designed to educate but to indoctrinate. Textbooks are filled with vitriol, glorifying “martyrdom” and breeding hatred against Israel and the Judeo-Christian world.
Playgrounds were tainted with the seeds of radicalism. Children were taught to aspire to become pawns in a deadly game of jihad.
This indoctrination was not confined to the classroom. It seeped into the very fabric of society through media, religious teachings and community activities. Television programs and radio broadcasts spewed the same dogma, creating an inescapable echo chamber that reinforced the regime’s narratives. Mosques were used as platforms for political agitation. Community events served as stages for entrenching the Islamist narrative.
The economic landscape was equally bleak. With unemployment soaring and poverty rampant, Hamas tightened its grip by controlling access to jobs and resources. Loyalty to the regime was rewarded with employment and aid, while dissent was punished with economic ostracization.
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Violence and repression were the twin pillars upon which Hamas’s control rested. The regime did not tolerate opposition. Political rivals were not debated with but eliminated. Dissenting voices were not countered with arguments but silenced with bullets. Arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings were not exceptions but the norm.
The chilling stories of those who dared to speak out and paid the ultimate price served as grim reminders to the rest of the population of the cost of defiance.
Women bore a disproportionate share of the burden of Hamas’s Islamist rule. They were subjected to severe restrictions and discrimination under the guise of religious and cultural norms. Forced to adhere to strict dress codes and confined to traditional roles, their lives were circumscribed by the regime’s patriarchal decrees. The consequences of defiance were dire — public shaming, physical punishment, or worse.
Yet, the regime’s manipulation went deeper. Women were systematically traumatized and brainwashed to accept their subjugation, becoming unwitting enforcers of their own oppression. This internalized misogyny perpetuated a cycle of abuse and control.
The use of trauma as a tool of control was a hallmark of Hamas rule. Continuous exposure to violence creates a climate of fear and helplessness, fostering a sense of dependency on the regime for protection and stability. This systematic infliction of trauma ensured that the population remained psychologically subdued, with little will to resist or seek change.
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A particularly insidious form of violence under Hamas’s rule was the pervasive sexual violence that became a grim norm in Gaza. The regime’s iron grip allowed sexual violence to flourish unchecked, becoming yet another tool of oppression.
Child marriage is rampant in Gaza, with girls as young as 12 being forced into marriages with older men.
The young brides, often seen as burdens by their families, are handed over to men who view them as property. These girls face not just the loss of their childhood but are thrust into lives of domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.
Marital rape, a horrifying reality for many women in Gaza, is yet another manifestation of the pervasive sexual violence. Under the Hamas interpretation of Islamic law, the concept of marital rape does not exist.
A wife is seen as the property of her husband, her consent irrelevant. This legal and cultural framework leaves women with no protection or recourse, their cries for help silenced by a society that views their suffering as acceptable, even expected.
The LGBTQ community in Gaza faces an unimaginable plight. Under Hamas, homosexuality is not just taboo; it is criminal. Members of the LGBTQ community live in constant fear of discovery, persecution and violence. They are forced into hiding, leading double lives to avoid the brutal consequences of being discovered.
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Torture, honor killings and forced conversions were common, as Hamas sought to eradicate what it saw as deviant behavior. The regime aimed to purge Gaza of anyone who did not conform to its ideals.
By framing its struggle as a religious duty, Hamas cloaks its political ambitions in a veneer of piety, making it difficult for outsiders to discern the true nature of its agenda. This manipulation extends beyond Gaza, reaching into the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world, fostering a global network of support and sympathy for the terrorist organization’s cause.
Manar al-Sharif’s harrowing experience under the rule of Hamas in Gaza highlights the oppressive environment faced by many Palestinians. Al-Sharif, originally from Damascus, was arrested multiple times by Hamas for activities it deemed subversive, such as organizing virtual events with Israelis.
In one instance, she was forcefully taken from her apartment, blindfolded and placed in solitary confinement without the opportunity to contact a lawyer or her family. Her “crime” was facilitating a virtual meeting aimed at fostering dialogue between Gazans and Israelis.
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To comprehend the dire situation in Gaza under Hamas, one must acknowledge the insidious influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mullahs of Tehran disseminate venomous ideology and foment chaos throughout the Middle East.
Iran’s theocratic regime has long sought to extend its influence across the region, employing terrorist proxies to destabilize and exert control.
Hamas is one such proxy, heavily funded and armed by Tehran. This support is not a result of shared visions of “Palestinian liberation” but a calculated strategy to project Iranian power and influence. By bolstering Hamas, Iran ensures a continuous state of conflict and instability on Israel’s borders, diverting attention from its own regional ambitions.
Iran’s backing of Hamas is multifaceted, involving financial aid, military training and the provision of advanced weaponry. This support empowered Hamas to maintain its stranglehold on Gaza, enabling it to enforce its draconian rule and pursue its genocidal agenda against Israel.
From their pulpits, the Iranian mullahs disseminate a toxic blend of radicalism and hatred. This ideological poison seeped into Gaza, where it was absorbed and propagated by Hamas. The result is a populace indoctrinated to view the world through the lens of perpetual conflict and enmity.
Iran’s influence is not confined to material support; it extends to the very ideology that fueled Hamas’s brutal regime. The glorification of violence, the suppression of dissent, and the systemic abuse of human rights in Gaza all echoed the oppressive tactics of the Iranian regime.
Iran’s ambitions are not limited to Gaza. The regime’s influence stretches across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Yemen, Syria to Iraq. In each of these theaters, Iran employs proxy forces to foment instability and expand its reach. The mullahs’ vision is one of a Shi’ite crescent, stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, dominated by Tehran’s ideological and political hegemony.
This strategy of regional destabilization serves multiple purposes. It distracts from Iran’s domestic challenges, such as economic hardship and political dissent, by projecting an image of external conflict. It also undermines rival powers, both regional and global, by creating continuous crises that demand their attention and resources.
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In Gaza, as elsewhere, the people are mere pawns in this grand chess game, their suffering a byproduct of Iran’s ruthless quest for dominance.
To truly understand the tragedy of Gaza, one must recognize the malign influence of Tehran. Iran’s support for Hamas is not an act of solidarity with the Palestinian cause but a cynical manipulation to further its ambitions.
The support for Hamas within the Palestinian territories is a tale that needs more nuanced understanding. What may appear as widespread allegiance to the terrorist group often obscures a much darker and complex reality.
Many Palestinians, finding themselves under the relentless gaze of Hamas, feel compelled to profess their support out of sheer necessity and fear of brutal reprisals.
In an environment where dissent is not merely discouraged but violently suppressed, aligning with Hamas can often be a survival strategy. Publicly denouncing the group can invite severe consequences, including imprisonment, torture or death. Thus, the support for Hamas is sometimes more a reflection of coercion than genuine ideological alignment.
Catherine Perez-Shakdam is a French journalist, political analyst and commentator specializinh in West Asian and Islamic affairs.
